Avatar: The Realignment
by Dynared21
Summary: [Reuploaded with significant grammar and typo corrections] 80 years have passed since the end of Kuvira's reign of terror. After years away, a man named Tong journeys to Republic City avenge his family against their murderers, a corrupt White Lotus bent on world domination and their leader, an impostor Avatar Korra!
1. Promises

**Disclaimer - The story has been re-uploaded in an attempt to streamline elements and fix a ton of typos and the like. Hopefully you all enjoy.**

* * *

 _Earth, Fire, Water, Air. The four elements which bind the world and its people. And yet the four which are constantly at war, both with themselves and each other. In previous times, the Avatar, master of all four elements, brought balance to the world. Brave men and women fought alongside the Avatar to restore balance. But as time passed, their deeds faded into legend, and their sacrifices forgotten. And again, the world set to fall out of its natural balance. But what happens when those charged with maintaining the balance...are responsible for its disruption?_

* * *

The train went through the suburbs rapidly, giving the passengers a rapid view of the houses, stores and roads that had begun to populate what was empty space a mere 50 years prior. It was quite a dull sight to be frank, most of the men and women on board the train more interested in their destination than the repeated sights outside, save some occasional view of the nearby mountains. Luckily for the passengers, the train service had seen fit to place televisions in the cabins, the audio present if one plugged headphones into the seats.

 _Fighting in the Earth States continued unabated today between forces of the Earth Kingdom and Earth Republic as both sides claimed victory in separate skirmishes along the armistice border. In a speech today, Emperor Xing declared his policy of "One Earth Kingdom" would not change and that despite protests from the United Republic and Avatar Korra for both sides to resume honoring the armistice, he would not rest until quote 'We are united as one nation, as is Earth Kingdom birthright' end quote. In response, President Zhang Bahl repeated his insistence that the Earth Republic would defend it borders, and called on the Kingdom forces to abandon their assault._

Then again, the view of the shops and houses would be preferable to yet another story about the war, which had occupied television for six months. A man in one of the seats couldn't help but sigh.

"It never ends, does it?"

The green t-shirt clad man, despite his seemingly grim demeanor, could not have been more than 21 years old. His brown eyes darted towards a list of names kept in a small book, lost in thought.

 _Last stop – Republic Central Station. All passengers must exit. Repeat; this is the last stop. All passengers must exit. This train is going to the yard._

The man followed other men, women, and children as they grabbed their belongings and made their way off the train onto the nearby platform. From there, a staircase would lead them to the inside of Republic Central, a massive complex with several floors both above and belowground. In addition to the standard train platforms and ticket vendors, there were shops of all sorts, an information booth, and numerous ticket stands. It was nothing if not a preview of the actual city outside the station.

The sight in front of him was bustling. Cars and trucks crowded the streets as hundreds of people passed by. It was a bit too much for him to take. Even having lived here during his pre-teen days, one could never completely get used to the horns and other forms of noise. The man briefly ran his head through a head of black hair, and then turned to the screen on his cellphone.

 _Tong,_

 _We'll meet up at 2pm. There's this great little restaurant away from Convergent Square. Don't worry; they serve meat. Kushina's coming too. I think you'll like what you see._

 _Shing._

He never did get the whole vegetarian thing with the official members of the Air Nation, and although studying air bending with them for the better part of four years made him appreciate their culture and techniques, he still disagreed with some of their teachings, particularly the whole no meat taboo. Smiling, he put the phone away and began walking towards his destination.

The streets, while never completely losing people, became less noisy and crowded as he moved away from Convergent Square towards midtown. Finally, he found the place; a small restaurant lined up in a row of shops next to a bar and a bakery, respectively. Your average tourist would likely dismiss the place in favor of a larger chain restaurant, which is probably why Shing chose it as the meeting place. Walking inside, a bell tied to the door announced his presence as he saw the greeter come to him.

"How may we help you today?"

"I'm actually here to meet someone. I believe they've already sat down."

"Very well sir."

The greeter stepped aside as Tong went through the back, only to find who he was looking for, a man wearing the uniform of an Air Temple acolyte. His bald head and arrow tattoos marked him as an experienced member of the order.

"Shing?"

"W…Tong! You came!"

The pair exchanged a hug, paying no mind to the other patrons. "It's been forever! What were you doing up there?"

"I just never had the time man. You think I didn't miss everyone?"

The reunion was cut short by a third voice. "Are you two going to stand there all day? Not that it doesn't look adorable."

"What's it to…"

The words died on Tong's lips as he looked at the beauty in front of him. A black haired woman, said hair flowing down her back, with soft, creamy white skin and ruby red lips, looked on at the pair. Her features were those of a Fire Nation Citizen, even though both Tong and Shing knew she was a native of Republic City. The black blouse and red skirt she wore only seemed to accent her relatively slender frame.

"Kushina?"

"Miss me?"

Several sentences went through Tong's head. After realizing saying any of them aloud would likely lead to him being slapped, the man settled for nodding dumbly and extending his hand. Smiling, she returned the gesture, the three sitting down at the table.

"You better have not ordered before I got here," Kushina noted as soon as she sat down. Shing shook his head.

"I wanted everyone else to come in first. So, how's everyone doing?"

* * *

Over meals of fish, poultry, and in Shing's case, a stir-fry with large mushrooms instead of the more traditional meats, the three recounted old experiences. The one that immediately came to Tong's mind was their initial meeting, a time they raced Kushina on a hill over in the Southwest borough, her soapbox racer able to keep strides with the boys and their air scooters (and Shing about to win the race when he lost balance thanks to a patch of rocks). Kushina recounted the time the pair was invited to play in a boys vs. girls ball game, only to find out when they attempted to cheat with air bending that Kushina had performed some strategic chi blocking earlier. Shing couldn't help but add that despite that, the boys still ended up winning.

The conversation soon turned to the present, particularly what the pair had been up to while Tong was away in college.

"This week?"

Kushina nodded as she showed the pair an employee ID with her face on it. "Engineering division. Test pilot work is fun, but I want to make machines then drive them! Not just drive other people's stuff."

"Didn't your dad want you to take over the chi-blocking school?" Shing asked. Kushina shook her head.

"I love chi-blocking, but it doesn't pay the bills. I can't get a job teaching it the way you can bending for the military. Can't say Dad was too thrilled, but it's my career."

"So, building anything fun?" Tong asked. Kushina just shook her head.

"Confidentiality agreement. They'd have my head if I told you before the rest of the world."

"Fine", Tong answered with a disappointed huff. "And what about you Shing? Or is it Master Shing now?"

"Not just yet," the young man answered. "I have the tattoos, but no formal position. Besides," he added excitedly "I'm too young to get tied down by a desk job! Air Nomads are nomads for a reason! We need to see the world, visit the four nations!"

"You might want to avoid the Earth Republic," Tong added jokingly. "I'm allowed to say that, I was born there." The trio chuckled at the comment, all too familiar with the ongoing war.

"Although now that you mention it," Shing continued, "Grandmaster Rohan has been getting ready to retire for a while now. He hasn't named a successor just yet though."

"Any candidates?" Kushina asked.

"Well I know Yuza has been pushing for it…"

"Yuza?" Tong asked, confused. "Didn't he leave while I was still there?"

"He did, and he founded his own school for air benders based on the wind razor style he was teaching. The Grandmaster didn't like it. He felt wind razor ran counter to air bender teachings. Remember how upset he got when he found out Yuza was giving us lessons?"

"I remember. Yuza was really popular with the kids. We all thought he was so cool before he got kicked out. So why is he back now?"

"I don't know. I just know yesterday he showed up in front of the grandmaster and challenged everyone else there for the spot, then left."

"I'm actually supposed to speak with Grandmaster Rohan," Tong announced. "I was hoping we could head to Air Temple Island after this."

"How come?"

Sighing, Tong reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a note. "Dad…wrote that before he died. He said if anything happened, to bring this to Grandmaster Rohan."

"Is that the only reason you came?" Shing asked. Tong shook his head.

"Hell no. I promised I would meet you guys once I got back, remember? It's just…an errand I have to do while I'm in town. So, who's covering the bill?"

"I figured Kushina, she's got the nicest job oW!"

The "out" turned to "ow" when Kushina pulled on Shing's ear, causing him to hastily rethink his position. "I'll cover it. I offered, after all, right?"

* * *

"I have come to take my place as the rightful Grandmaster of the Republic City Air Temple! Anyone who dares challenge me will fall!"

The challenge was made as the Grandmaster stood in front of an old obstacle course, looking on at the lesson being taught to a group of child acolytes. The other instructors all looked on at the man arrogant enough to declare such a challenge, ready to strike him down. The old man, bald save the arrow tattoo on his head, with a gruff demeanor and no facial hair stared at the sight of the intrusion with disdain. His wrinkles only served to accent his emotions, in this case annoyance at the arrogance in front of him.

"Yuza, I told you the same thing I have for the past week! You left our order when you said you lost all respect for our ways!"

"I have no respect for the ways of the Air Nomads", the blonde man replied, his white uniform and long boots hiding an imposing figure. "Which is exactly why I should lead the order! To bring it into a new age of progressive thinking and advancement of air bending technique!"

"Your techniques emphasize death and destruction, the exact opposite of what Air benders are supposed to represent! If you were to take a position of power within the Air Nation, you would lead it to ruin."

"You'll find my leadership skills can be quite…persuasive."

"How so?"

"You'll see."

"Is that a threat?"

As he walked towards the ferry leaving Air Temple Island, flanked by two masked bodyguards in blue and white uniforms, Yuza turned back, a smile curling his lips.

"No, it's your guilt. You know I should be the next Grandmaster, but are too tied to the temple's outdated ways to see it."

* * *

After paying the bill, the trio began heading towards the subway system to get to Air Temple Island. They were stopped however, by the sounds of screaming and crackling electricity two blocks away.

"Someone's in trouble!"

"Tong!" Both Kushina and Shing's pleas fell on deaf ears as Tong ran through the streets towards the noise, a bank with the sounds of gunfire. The pair was unaware how Tong could even hear the noise given all the activity, but soon ignored it as they ran after.

* * *

"OK ladies and gentlemen, this is a stickup! Anyone tries anything funny and they eat a Shocker blast! You! All the money in the front, in this bag, now!" Emphasizing this point, he pointed the metallic weapon and its short black barrel at the teller, who hastily began to retrieve money from her desk and the surrounding desks.

* * *

"Tong!"

Undeterred by his friends asking what the hell he was doing, the man pointed out what he saw from outside the building. "Four bank robbers. Three have shockers; one's a fire bender. There's at least twenty hostages."

"OK? And?"

"Cops won't be here for about five to ten minutes. I think we can stop them."

"Are you nuts?!" Kushina asked. "I didn't come out to lunch to get shot at!"

"We can't let innocent people get hurt!" Shing nodded in agreement.

"So what's your plan?"

"And how does it keep me from getting shot?" Kushina added.

* * *

"I don't have all day!" the robber shouted, his suit and tie doing nothing to hide his brutal demeanor. "If you don't have all the money out by the time my friends get back, there's gonna be a hole in your head!"

The single floor of the lobby seemed to lack any position that the two robbers could be surprised by, at least without noticing the numerous windows that allowed light to pour into the lobby. Which is why they were all the more surprised when two powerful gusts of wind shattered the glass and knocked the assailants to the ground, while a third gust kept the shards away from the civilians.

"What the hell was…"

Two men leapt through the windows, landing two equally forceful kicks, one to each robber in the head and chest. The kicks knocked the robbers out cold before they could react, while in the back, the remaining two were startled by the racket. Rather than finish cutting the bars, the fire bender abandoned his task to head out front, only to see his friends out cold.

"What the?!"

A third gust of wind knocked his compatriot into the wall, rendering him unconscious. A look of anger on his face boiled as he readied two fireballs in his palms.

 **THWACK THWAP THWACK**

The flames immediately vanished as the thief felt several powerful blows all over his body. Looking up, he saw a black haired woman smiling at him, right before she drove a kick into his temple, knocking him out cold.

"Guess we put that fire out."

The crowd began standing up and cheering for their rescuers as the trio looked on. "Well, that's my good deed for the day," Kushina began as she went towards the exit. "Can we not risk our life foiling any more bank robberies on the way?"

"Oh come on," Shing protested, clearly enjoying the crowd's adulation. "We make a great team!"

Tong just smiled as he walked out the door. "I like helping people. Can't help it."

"Well let's go before we have to spent the next couple of hours giving a statement."

* * *

After a brief subway ride, followed by a something lengthier ferry ride, the trio had arrived on Air Temple Island. Kushina hadn't been here since her preteen years, the island being a popular tourist destination, but when her two friends left, there was no reason for her to hang out there. Once off the boat, a stern looking man greeted them, clad in the traditional robes of the Air Nation.

"Who is it at this hour? The last tour ended an hour ago!"

"Is that any way to speak to a former student?"

"Tong? Just in time for dinner! Shing, I see you bought company!"

"Tong mentioned that he had to talk to you." As soon as Shing mentioned this, Tong handed the Grandmaster a letter, which he pocketed.

"Your father, correct?"

"Yes."

"There's much to discuss. But we can do it in the morning. Who wants dinner? The chefs have made a lovely raw vegetable wrap platter!"

All three nodded at the invitation. Tong had learned the hard way not to question the Grandmaster's culinary choices as far back as his first night at the island. Coincidentally, it was also the night that he learned how high a single gust of wind could propel a person into the air.

Dusk soon became night, which soon became morning. The influx of students and guests meant that there were numerous spare rooms available on the island for guests and live-in students. Rohan would hear none of Tong's insistence on getting a hotel, practically demanding he stay in the guest rooms and save the money. Kushina however, living in one of the boroughs, did leave, but not before leaving her phone with the group in case they needed her.

During the night, Tong looked over the list his father gave him, separate from the note meant for the Grandmaster. The names were none he knew personally; some were politicians, some masters of bending, and some famous names in business. But as he continued to look through the list, one name was notable.

 _Yuza._

However, when he ran to the Grandmaster's room to present his findings, he noticed a large group present, Shing included.

"They've taken him!"

"Who?"

"We don't know!" an air bender shouted aloud. "Someone has taken the Grandmaster!"

Tong clenched his fist. "Yuza." Looking on at his friend, Shing could only ask "What do we do?"

"We need to call Kushina."

"How come?"

"Her dad's school did some work with Yuza's, right? We need to give him a house call."

"You think Yuza came in here during the night to kidnap someone?"

* * *

With the expansion of Republic City, land was becoming increasingly rare closer to the heart of the bustling metropolis. Plots were bought as soon as they were available, and every effort was made to use the land in the center that they had. Those who wanted larger homes either had to be very rich, or live in one of the outer boroughs, where land was far more plentiful.

This made the home of Yuza all the more unique. His home, along with a few others, was on a small island known as Sokka Island (after a former councilman from the early days of Republic City) between the northwest borough and the central island. The estates that covered the island were spacious and private, with a bridge and a subway system allowing people to journey to the mainland. Because of the privacy and affluent owners, the police rarely visited, the island kept safe by private security.

It was the perfect cover for the owner of the Wind Razor schools, Yuza, who sat in a chair in his backyard as he looked on at his prisoner, bound from both feet and legs while two men in uniforms pointed Shocker rifles at him. He smiled at his prisoner, drinking a glass of wine while waiting for his response.

"I do not fear death any more than I fear the coming of the seasons. If you plan to kill me, then kill me."

"I want to be Grandmaster," Yuza declared. "You saw how easily my men took you from your precious Air Temple Island without detection. They will do the same with anyone that objects to my appointment."

"And you don't think the police will find you?"

"The evidence surrounding your death will point towards the Raging Ones gang, who I believe your students have had numerous issues with following their attempts to vandalize the statue of Avatar Aang. I can assure you that no trail will get back to me, old man."

"What happened to defeating any challenger for the right to be Grandmaster?" Rohan's reply earned him a sharp slap from Yuza, who appeared infuriated.

"My Wind Razor technique is flawless and my school has hundreds of students! My students will be opening schools outside Republic City as well. I am a success!"

"You never did see the inherent flaw in your style, or in yourself," Rohan answered with a huff. "Money and a nice house do not a Master Air bender make."

Instead of showing fury, Yuza picked up a large stone from the ground and threw it into the air. Then, with one motion he put his hand in the shape of a claw and swung it towards the stone. "No, but power does!"

A powerful gust of wind emanated from his hand, splitting the stone in four pieces, further accentuating his point.

"I would challenge any Air bender that your pathetic academy can place in front of me!"

He had almost no time to gloat. Over the roof of his house emerged three figures, including one uniform he recognized.

"What about us?" Shing asked as the trio descended into the back.

"Air bender? How did…Well, do you want this whelp to fight me in your stead?"

Before anyone could say anything, however, Tong stepped forward. "This one is mine."

"He's challenging members of the Air Nomads!" Shing shouted. "Last time I checked, your dad didn't let you…"

"Shing, let him!"

"But…"

"You have no idea what this is part of! This is Tong's fight!"

Tong was undeterred, stepping forward. "You don't remember me, do you? You instructed me when I was a child."

"I had many students. I can't say you stuck out."

"Then you remember my father, Dr. Mao."

"Dr. Mao? Wait…you?"

"I'm the son of the man you and several others murdered", Tong answered. Yuza smirked, assuming a fighting stance, rooting his feet into the ground and forming his hands as if they were claws. Tong responded in kind, taking a classical air bender stance in defense.

"We were looking for you as well as your father. Lucky you came to me! And Rohan, when I kill this whelp, you will honor our agreement, yes?" The old master chuckled.

"You won't win."

"YES I WILL!"

Immediately, Yuza took the offensive, blades of wind rushing towards his opponent. Tong countered in kind, currents of air attempting to neutralize the blades. Unfortunately, one blade went through the defense, cutting Tong's cheek. He winced, but did not fall.

"Not bad, for an adept of an inferior style."

"The Air Nomad style is not inferior!" Shing shouted, although Tong motioned to him to stay back. All through this, Kushina couldn't help but look on.

"This is the second time I've been asked to go into a situation where people want to kill you guys. Did you both get a death wish since the last time we all hung out?"

"You seemed happy enough dealing with those two guards in the front."

"Yeah, but they kidnapped the guy who gave me dinner," Kushina protested.

The pair was interrupted by a loud kiai from Yuza, resuming his attack on Tong. This time however, the air bender was ready, leaping into the air and coming down with a powerful wind gust assisting him. The blow knocked the wind razor master back as he staggered, but likewise did not fall. Rather than resume his distance assault, he rushed forward, attempting to claw at his opponent up close.

"My blows split stone and shatter bone! Air bending is powerless before me!" His hands were met with Tong's defensive strikes, neither able to find an opening on the other.

 **WHACK**

Before Yuza knew what happened, he was looking up at the ground, Tong quickly mounting him and delivering several unblocked blows to his grounded opponent's face. In a fit of panic, Yuza placed his hands in front of his face, blowing Tong off with a powerful gust of air, the young man riding it and landing on his feet even as Yuza rose up from his knees to his feet. All the while, a single man's laughter could be heard.

"You see now the weakness of your supposed 'superior' style of air bending, 'Master Yuza? Surely your vast knowledge of unarmed combat could have seen a simple foot sweep coming!"

"SILENCE!" Yuza shouted, even as he resumed sending razor winds at Tong. "It was a lucky blow!"

He was expecting Tong to jump into the air again and attack. What he instead saw was the man slide underneath him, feet first into Yuza's right leg, knocking him down. He stood again, only to eat a knee into his chest, followed by a wind gust assisted toss, which forced Yuza into the pavement of his patio face first.

"Truly you are worthy of being the grandmaster!" Rohan guffawed even as Yuza covered his bruised face. Tong stood above him, his eyes narrowed.

"You can't win. So let's skip the pretense and start answering my questions."

"I'll do no such thing!" Yuza shouted, rising to his feet once more, with his claws set to carve right at Tong's face. However, a powerful blow to the inside of his thigh followed by a clean strike to his jaw again knocked the Wind Razor master to the ground.

"Do you finally get it?" Rohan announced between laughs. "Your 'superior' Wind Razor style roots itself into the ground and only uses the legs as support! Delivering your strikes requires you to be heavy and flat-footed! You're fighting in the exact opposite way an Air bender should fight!"

Tong was nowhere near as jovial. "Give up."

Yuza was indignant. "ENOUGH OF THIS! MEN! KILL THE OLD MAN AND THEN KILL EVERYONE ELSE HERE!"

The two men immediately raised their weapons, pointing them at Rohan, who closed his eyes. Shing and Kushina ran, not knowing if they could get to him in time. Tong looked, on, and did the only thing he could.

 **WHAM!**

Two pillars of stone rose from the ground, hitting both guards in the face. Two more appeared, striking each guard in the chest, knocking them to the ground. Everyone, save Rohan, gasped at the sight.

"YOU'RE AN EARTHBENDER?!" Shing shouted. Rohan laughed.

"He is no mere Earth bender! Only one can master all four elements and bring balance to the world!" Both Shing and Kushina were stunned at the revelation.

"Tong…is the Avatar?" Tong didn't bother acknowledging his friends, instead looking down at his defeated foe. With one quick movement, stone rose from the ground, binding his arms and legs.

"You knew, right, Yuza? That's why you had my dad killed. That's why you wanted to kill Grandmaster Rohan. You and your friends wanted to take out everyone who knew, then take me out."

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!" Yuza shouted in protest. "There is only one Avatar now, Avatar Korra, and…"

"The Korra that's been guiding the world is a fake," Tong declared. "And you're part of the order that's been keeping up the façade. Now…" he continued, a small stream of fire emanating from his finger like a blade, "you're going to tell me everything. Names, dates, locations, all of it."

The blade of flame slowly lowered itself towards Yuza's face, at which point he cracked. "OK, fine! White Lotus! They've been…"

He never said another word. His expression tensed and the light drained from his eyes, his eyelids sealing shut, never to reopen. Tong looked on, finally noticing the small dart in the crown of his head.

"What the? Who did that?"

The group didn't notice the man, dressed head to toe in a black skin-tight uniform save the breathing apparatus on his face and the small tank of oxygen on his back, fall into the earth, the ground itself swallowing him up. It was as if he was never there.

* * *

 _This is Observer. Yuza mentioned White Lotus, but was silenced before he could say anything else._

 _Understood. The priority of the target has shifted. Designate Target 09 as Target 01. Designate his friends as Targets 02 and 03 respectively. Orders are to follow but not engage until further instruction is given._

 _Understood Command._

* * *

The police, while not normally involved in patrolling Sokka Island, came quickly when news of the kidnapping and murder was reported. Fortunately, the two bodyguards of the late Yuza confessed to their crimes of their employer as the police sealed off the estate.

The revelations were a bit too much for Shing to process.

"You're the Avatar?"

Tong shook his head.

"I don't care about being the Avatar. I care about bringing the people who killed my father to justice."

"And what about the fake Avatar?" Kushina asked. Tong looked at his friends, and then answered in a deep sullen voice.

"I'm going to kill her last."


	2. An Interrupted Life

The mood at the table in Rohan's dining room was heavy, its occupants troubled. A chef from the kitchen (one designed to serve the entire academy) presented the group food while sitting down to his own plate, overhearing the conversation. Rohan let him, stating that the man who cooked for the academy had to be the trust-worthiest person he could find, given the responsibility of feeding not just him, but all the island's students. Reading the letter he was given between bites of a fried eggplant dish (a recipe that one of the other temple masters from the north insisted he must try), Rohan's face appeared stern.

"Dr. Mao knew he was being targeted. He knew why. He didn't know by who however."

"But now we have a clue. White Lotus. But why would White Lotus want…"

"OK, back up!" Shing interrupted. "Since when are you the Avatar?" The look on Tong's face again turned sullen.

"I'm not. I just have the powers of the Avatar. Earth, fire, air, water, all that stuff."

"But Korra is a…"

"An impostor," Rohan answered. "The real Korra by my estimates has been dead for 20 years, the same age as Avatar Tong."

"Don't.. call me that. I'm not the Avatar. I'm basically a super soldier."

The next person to interject was Kushina. "So, is this why you left the city to move to the Fire Nation? And why you went to college in the Northern Water Tribe?" Both Tong and Rohan nodded.

"After Korra severed the connection to the past Avatars, there was a schism in the order on how to treat her successor. Half wanted to use the Avatar as a figurehead until the accumulated knowledge caught up with the vessel, which is what I think they're doing with the impostor. The others, like myself, wanted to educate the next Avatar as a human, not a being greater than humans. So Tong, with the help of his father, spent equal parts of his education with the four nations, posing as a native bender, so he would know not only their bending techniques, but also their culture, their way of life, and their needs and wants as a society. We couldn't replace ten thousand lifetimes of experience, but we could raise a leader to be wise and just."

"Which society did you like the best?"

"Kushina!" Tong shouted defensively. "You can't expect me to answer that!"

"Aww."

"And the list?" Tong asked, presenting it to the group. Rohan sighed.

"It appears your father knew some names, some connected to White Lotus, some not. However, it doesn't appear he knew the ringleaders. Such a force would probably prefer to keep their presence…hidden."

"Well why not contact the real Korra?" the chef asked.

"Were we talking to you?" Tong snapped, only to receive a rebuke from Rohan.

"It's a perfectly valid question."

"I know! And I've tried, both meditating and even going to the spirit portal by North Point. I'm not connected to anyone. Where Korra's supposed to be, there's just…static."

"Static?"

"It's like a blurry picture. Like something's supposed to be there, but I can't make it out. And I don't know why."

"So what's our next move?" Shing asked. Kushina however, was less enthusiastic.

"Look, it was wonderful seeing you all again, but fighting an ancient conspiracy? I have to go back to work tomorrow! You can't just expect me to drop everything and dedicate myself to this!"

"I know."

"And if you…huh?"

"I was kinda hoping we could meet again without all this crap to deal with," Tong answered. "Can you at least meet up with us before we leave?"

A bit confused, Kushina soon turned to feigned anger. "Sure, but you need to take me somewhere nice for dinner." The chef looked offended at the comment.

"What's wrong with my cooking?"

"And no foiling bank robberies."

"That was you guys?"

Both Kushina and Shing immediately pointed fingers at Tong, who fumbled for an explanation.

"Well, the thing about that is, um…"

"It was all over the news!" Rohan shouted. "Be more careful! We're trying to hide from your enemies!"

"You think they'll kill me?" Tong asked. Rohan shook his head.

"They're White Lotus. They know killing you will only begin the Avatar cycle anew. And the consequences of breaking the cycle could prove to be apocalyptic, even if they knew how."

"Well that's good…"

"I said they wouldn't kill you," Rohan continued sternly. "There are many ways to make a man useless without killing him. Mutilation, psychological torture, endless sedation. Techniques of torture as old as the four nations. You are not invincible. Don't act like you are. I hope if any of my lessons stuck with you, it would be that."

* * *

Megaroad Incorporated had a bit of an odd history. What emerged as a start up company following the end of the first Unification War soon grew into a military powerhouse due to its willingness to supply the then new Earth Kingdom with weapons, including upgraded models of mecha tanks from their former provider, Varrick Industries. While Varrick Industries was happy to supply the new Earth Republic with weapons, Megaroad soon found itself as the Earth Kingdom's primary military vehicle supplier, in particular, their own model of mecha tanks, the 'Engine Armor' series. No one of course, discussed the fact that the first products of Megaroad were reverse engineered from Varrick's own designs, or that its founders, disgruntled engineers from Varrick's firm, likely took the designs with them when Megaroad was founded.

Over the past 70 years, the weapons and the company got larger. Primitive flamethrowers (which could easily backfire when up against a fire bender) were replaced with more advanced Shocker cannons and metal repeater guns. Smaller competitors in motors and weapons like Cabbage Corp were bought out. New technologies were implemented by Megaroad and its competitors, primitive windows replaced with advanced camera systems allowing a pilot sealed inside a cockpit to see every angle of a battle without the vulnerability of a glass view, with radar, sonar, infrared, UV, and countless other ways to find a target available at the pilot's fingertips. New air and ground vehicles were made to support them, with new technology helicopters and jet propelled aircraft replacing the ridiculously inefficient hummingbird designs of old. A new factory in a town outside of Republic City known as Xinxiang was built as people moved further away from the main city in the pursuit of living and working space. And of course with the need for new ideas came a need to recruit new employees to come up with them.

For Kushina, the company had been her employer for the last eight months. They had recruited right out of college following an internship, leading to a position with testing and research. Today however, was her first full day as an engineer, a position she had been gunning for, ever since beginning her studies. She had made sure to dress for the occasion even, wearing full business attire and even heels (which she normally found obnoxious). Her guide, having walked her through the office she was assigned to, soon led her to a hangar that the office overlooked. In front was a large machine, six meters tall, humanoid in shape save the large dome where a human's head would be. The grayish paint on the machine reflected the pair looking on at it, the unit unmarked save for some numbers and letters on its right shoulder.

"Lovely machine isn't it? The EA-08 Duck Bat; the backbone of this company's portfolio. The first and last word in mecha warfare; a machine far superior to the Ox units Varrick Industries is pumping out."

"It is an…impressive design."

"And that is why you are here."

"I'm sorry sir, but I thought I was working on a new design."

Kushina's guide, a black haired man in a blue collared shirt and black pants, chuckled. "In due time, newbie. Right now, we're facing a mass delivery to the Earth Kingdom due in six months, and they agree that the deadline needs to be met earlier. So rather than create a new machine from scratch and modify our production line, we plan to offer an upgrade to the unit we already have. Don't worry, you'll get your chance to make something new once this project is done."

"So what do I do first?"

"Get changed."

"I'm…sorry?" Kushina asked with a noticeable look of confusion on her face.

"A pilot suit. We need you to test some of the new designs for performance issues. You have done test work before, correct?"

"Oh, right…"

* * *

 _Control to Operator 1A. So how is it?_ A voice asked from over the radio. From the inside of the Duck Bat, machinery hummed to life, screens showing the outside of the machine while numerous buttons and other switches lit up.

"It feels like my last job. "

 _It pays more. Now we need to test some issues with the engine, particularly acceleration and reversal. Once that's done, you can give your impressions to the team._

From inside the machine, Kushina gripped the two control sticks, one on each side of the machine, and prepared to hit the accelerator pedal. However, as she did so, all the machinery in the cockpit went dark, leaving her in total blackness.

"Control, this is Operator 1A, please come in! Repeat, control, this is Operator 1A! My test unit's gone dark!"

Without any warning, the central monitor hummed to life, repeating a plain white message over a black background.

BRING THE AVATAR HERE TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT OR YOU WILL DIE COME DAWN.

Before she could question the statement, the machinery all lit up again, as if nothing had happened.

 _Operator 1A, what button did you press?_ Kushina for her part, was equally confused.

"No idea what happened Control. I got ready to accelerate and the test unit went dark."

 _We'll have some of the boys take a look at it. Come on out._

* * *

Looking on at the computer at her new workstation, Kushina did her best to brush off the message. It had to have been a prank. No one knew who she was, she was just a new engineer! Tong flat out said he wasn't the Avatar! She was due back in the testing ground in half an hour, so rather than ponder the error, she began to set up her local account on a company laptop.

"A new email? Already?"

The sender was an email she didn't recognize, but didn't have any relation to the company, just random numbers and letters. The subject and body were both the same.

BRING THE AVATAR HERE TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT OR YOU WILL DIE AT DAWN.

"Security!"

* * *

"Security checked out both the Duck Bat and your laptop. There's no sign of any sort of tampering. And we can't trace the email because of an ISP blocker. So, what happened?"

"I don't know!" Kushina shouted defensively.

"You know Avatar Korra?"

"No!"

"Look, we're going to keep a close eye on you today. But those tests need to get done. We swept the Duck Bat twice for signs of malfunction or tampering and found nothing. So…"

"I'll be fine, Kushina replied dismissively, heading back towards the hangar.

The rest of the day passed without incident, although just to be safe, the live fire tests that were supposed to be done were postponed in favor of more maneuverability testing. The whole process was a bit exhausting, as the testing was more about seeing the small issues than trying to push the machine to its limit.

So it was with relief that Kushina was able to head back to the locker room and sign out for the day. However, when she did, she noticed someone had left her a present. A letter with a white lotus flower.

She knew whom she had to visit.

* * *

 _Oh Kagome, you know we can never be together, for you are betrothed to…_

 **CLICK**

 _Best of Pro-Bending returns with a look at…_

 **CLICK**

 _Avatar State, Yip-Yip!_

 **CLICK CLICK**

 _Today on 'Before the Nations' – The renewed civil war between the Earth Republic and Earth Kingdom: Who is at fault? Joining me today via satellite are Senior Minister Wuji Shen of the Earth Kingdom and Congressman Hsiao Zi of the Earth Republic. Now boys, let me remind you that the United Republic is officially neutral, so don't take it out on me._

 _The Earth Kingdom will no longer suffer the insolence of the secession and propaganda from the rebel states! It is by divine right that we must be united!_

 _It was your king that called for the split!_

 _After he was disposed! He had no right to call for dissolution when the royal line of succession clearly named a leader in late Emperor Bahn! Your resistance was illegal and the men behind it used Kuvira's disposal to gain power!_

 _Nonsense! The Great Emperor is just a power-hungry tyrant!_

 **THWACK**

"OW!"

The force of the slap was hard enough to knock Tong from the couch where he was watching television in the guest dorm. Looking up, he saw a familiar face, looking absolutely furious.

"K…Kushina?"

"You come back into my life and the first thing you do is try to get me killed! Now someone wants me dead because they saw me watch your little Air bender duel!"

"Killed? What's going on?"

Examining the letter one last time, Shing shook his head. "Bring the Avatar here tomorrow at night or you will die at dawn. Seems open and shut."

"And the little accessory was designed to let us know who it was", Tong continued. "White Lotus knows I know about them, and they want to use people I know to bring them out."

"This was my first day", Kushina lamented. "First day and I'm about to lose my job because some jackass came back into my life and decided I was going to go save the world."

"We don't seem to have much of a choice", Tong lamented. "And here I was finally trying to relax. We'll head there tomorrow."

Kushina sighed at the idea of yet another intrusion in her life, but Shing was less optimistic.

"It's a trap."

"Obviously. But I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever they throw at me, once we scout the area out."

As both of them nodded, the pair finally noticed the small paper box he was eating from.

"What's that?"

"Oh this? Roasted sky fowl legs."

"On Air Temple Island?!" Shing asked incredulously. "Do you know what the Grandmaster is going to do if he finds those?"

"Oh come on, what about respect for other cultures and all that?"

"What about the fact that we have a cook right here and he gets furious when people snub his cooking?"

"He's not going to…"

The sound of running was heard as a familiar figure looked in the room.

"I heard the noise! What's…"

"Uh…"

" **YOU SORRY LITTLE INGRATE!"**

* * *

The following day went a bit more smoothly for Kushina, save the letter accompanied by the white flower that read "Warehouse #3." She was familiar with the area. It was used for simulated battles. When she met up with Tong and Shing outside, the pair resigned themselves to the obvious dramatics of their host.

The route to the warehouse was surprisingly unguarded. Kushina reasoned that there was no point in stopping them from going in; the trick was to keep them from leaving. Soon enough, they entered via an open door designed for vehicles and other heavy equipment, only to see it seal shut.

"Kushina!"

"She left us!" Shing shouted, seeing she was outside when the door slammed. "This whole 'career girl' thing has gone to her head!"

Before Tong could agree or disagree, spotlights began to focus on a glass-enclosed room perched above the mock battlefield. Inside, a man waited for them.

"The Amon mask?" Tong taunted. "What are you, a computer hacker?"

 _It's effective_ , the suit wearing man answered, speaking into a microphone he held with his gloved hands. _Besides, my identity is no concern of yours._

"Then why threaten someone just to bring me out here?"

 _Because_ , the masked man answered, _we can't have someone running around pretending to be the Avatar. It…disrupts the balance._

Gritting his teeth, Tong answered, "I'm not the Avatar. I'm just going to kill her."

 _Yes, yes, I'm sure you are. She murdered your what, father, mother, girlfriend? Heard all the sob stories. Everyone's a lonely soldier boy carrying a spirit vine on his back. In your case though, your little rampage is going to end before it begins._

Sitting down, the masked man pressed a button a nearby console, as machinery began to whir. On the other end of the mock battlefield, a machine began to rise to the surface. A mecha tank, colored black and red, only with a skull shaped head instead of a dome. The machine's eyes glowed red as it finally rose; rifle at the ready.

What the hell is that?!"

 _Yes, how rude of me! Allow me to introduce you to your executioner: The PA-01 Govarian!_

"Govarian? That's not even a real word!" Shing shouted in protest.

 _Quiet! It's branding! And it comes complete with a 35mm Shocker cannon as its primary armament, along with two anti-personnel shrapnel launchers, four grenades, and for up close fighting, a cartridge powered bayonet punch on both arms! Not to mention this particular model is equipped with two anti-personnel rocket launchers on each shoulder! It slices, it dices, and it dominates the battlefield over the inferior creations of Varrick Industries! Now it's time you see what it can do up close!_

The machine roared to life, raising its rifle as it dashed towards the pair. Wasting no time, both Tong and Shing sent wind at the machine, hoping to knock it off its feet. Unfortunately for them, the machine stood firm.

"How?"

 _Secure firing anchors, designed for stabilization when using heavy weapons. And quite resistant to the tricks of air benders._

Immediately, the mecha's rifle pointed at the pair, firing a massive energy bolt.

Tong and Shing could do nothing but dash for cover behind an artificial patch of rocks.

"We can't fight that thing head on!" Shing shouted. Tong shook his head.

"Watch me!" Tong leapt into the air directly above the machine, his hands releasing a powerful stream of flame. However, the machine remained undeterred, raising its rifle and nearly frying Tong with the ensuing energy bolt. The patch of rock and dirt he bent as a shield was destroyed instantly, knocking him back several feet.

 _Did you really think we wouldn't make a machine that could stand up to fire bending? We have big plans for this mecha tank, plans that you're continued existence is not a part of!_

"If I am the Avatar," Tong began even as he ran for cover, "then you know killing me will just restart the cycle!"

 _Fully aware of the Avatar cycle my friend. Quite frankly, it will be far easier to deal with a two year old than it would a 21 year old._

Energy bolts from the mecha's rifle peppered the battlefield, destroying the rocks and other cover the pair attempted to use for cover as they attempted to dash out of the way. Both knew that a single blast would be the end for either of them.

"Got any ideas?" Shing asked even as another blast almost singed his robes.

"The pipes on the roof," Tong answered. "If I can rip them off, I can metal bend some weapons."

"How long will that take?"

Both ducked behind metal debris, looking on at their opponent as it marched forward relentlessly.

"Three minutes. Two to form the blades, one to get a clean shot at the robot. Can you draw his fire for that long?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sighing, Shing immediately leapt from the safety of the debris into the line of sight of the mecha tank. This time however, rather than fire its rifle, a small cannon inside its shoulder released two blasts, with dozens of tiny metal pellets going for the air bender. Using a quick current, he was able to send all of the debris back save two, which struck him on the right shoulder. He yelped, falling to the ground, clutching his injured shoulder as the machine loomed above him, a large spike emerging from a metal gauntlet on its arm.

 **WHAM!**

A floating pipe, in the nick of time, knocked the machine off its feet just as it was about to deliver the killing blow. As it rose to its feet, both the pilot and the masked observer noticed just what had swung the weapon, even as the two pipes shifted and contorted into twin blades resembling massive long swords.

"Let's go!"

The mech raised its rifle to strike down its foe only for one of the blades to slice through it with a clean blow, leaving the barrel on the ground. Undeterred, rockets from the two shoulder launchers began to fire at its target, Tong dodging the ones, which the blades couldn't deflect. Before another volley could be fired off, one of the blades ran right into the launcher, causing an explosion to rip the machine apart with a mighty **BOOM!**

Both Tong and Shing looked on at the destroyed machine as its pilot emerged from the wreck, soon falling unconscious as he escaped his destroyed mecha tank. Wasting no time, Tong took the remaining blade and flung it towards the observation deck, only to find that it stopped short of its target.

 _Reinforced glass,_ the man replied. _I must admit, that was impressive, defeating a mecha tank all by yourself. Truly the steel and skill of the false Avatar is not to be underestimated._

"Then you're going to give up?" Shing asked. The man replied with a dark chuckle.

 _Your overconfidence is astounding. You thought I didn't have a Plan B?_

Another elevator began to whir and move, this time, with three mecha rising on to the battlefield. Tong immediately recognized the large cannons on their backs, looking on with dread.

"Mortars?"

 _You may have bested my prototype in combat, but not even you can survive this. Rain death upon the battlefield. Leave nothing left._

With no obvious escape route, and no way to avoid the mortar fire that was about to come, the pair waited for the end. But it never came.

With a powerful **CRACK,** the mecha tank in the center drew a blade on its right arm and attacked both of its compatriots, disabling them before speeding to the other side of the battlefield.

"GET ON!"

"Kushina!" Shing yelled, overjoyed. "You came back!"

"Don't get sappy about it! Let's get out of here!"

Noticing a ladder on the back of the machine, both men hung on for dear life as the machine's mortar blew a hole through the warehouse door. As it sped away from the compound, the masked man calmly looked on, reaching for a small phone inside his suit.

"They escaped. Yes, the consulate. I'll be there in the morning."

* * *

"Look, I just want to say, that I'm really sorry for dragging you into this," Tong began, even as their ride sped away from the warehouse of Kushina's former employer.

"I appreciate it, but let's worry about those two choppers following us first!" Sure enough, while the roads were thankfully empty two helicopters sped after their prey, ready to blast them to pieces.

"I got this one!" Shing shouted, leaping into the air. Immediately a missile was fired at the air bender, who only grinned.

"You just sealed your own fate."

A powerful gust of wind pushed the missile back at the pursuing helicopter, its pilots barely able to eject as the machine was destroyed. Shrapnel pelted its partner, which abandoned its pursuit even as Shing calmly landed on the ground, the mecha tank waiting for him.

"So yeah," Tong began, as the trio stopped to take a break, Kushina exiting her vehicle, "I am so sorry about all this."

"It's not going to help me get my job back," Kushina lamented.

"Yeah, that bridge has been burned, along with that machine that tried to kill us."

"SHING!"

"Sorry. But where do we go now?"

"Hate to say it," Kushina answered, "but we have to walk. Driving a hijacked armored war machine into a local town is going to cause people to ask way too many questions. Let's lay low for now, and we can deal with this later." Tong and Shing both nodded in agreement.

"We'll head back to Air Temple Island in the morning,"

* * *

As the helicopter travelled towards its destination, the passenger inside looked on at a video screen. The person on the other end was not happy.

 _He escaped?_

"He has the power of the Avatar, even if he claims he isn't. The good news is that he is alone; he doesn't know everything. He didn't know who I was.

 _And the prototype?_

"The Govarian was just that, a prototype. You know, test things out, and if they don't work, improve for the next model. We did obtain a great deal of knowledge on how to use improve our mecha tanks, after all.

 _The Avatar Army needs to be ready in six months. That means having machines that we can mass-produce for our soldiers._

"I know that, Inquisitor. Everything will be in place. We just need to deal with our friend."

 _We have a task force dedicated to dealing with Dr. Mao's boy. Your primary objective is to ensure that the Avatar Army is supplied with weapons and vehicles, and that they eclipse the quality of anything the nations or the United Republic can put against us._

"That's a remarkably simple request."

 _Oh, and the final product? Make sure it has an actual name. I have no idea what a Govarian is._

"I thought it sounded cool."

 _Random nonsense strung together without meaning would just make us look bad. Finish the tanks, and give the production model a better name._


	3. Misinterpreted

**CRASH!**

"Joon Wufei! You have innocent blood on your hands!"

The man known as Joon Wufei had just returned home from some business meetings concerning contracts with the Earth Kingdom. Now a man dressed like the old terrorist Amon was dangling him above the balcony of his Republic City penthouse. He was confused and scared at the same time.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You were involved in the death of Dr. Mao! You silenced people who knew Avatar Korra is a fake!"

"Mao? Look, I knew a Mao, but I didn't kill him, I swear…"

"YOU LIE!"

"I know someone who went to his office the same time he died! Maeda! He's a real estate developer! Office in the Fire Nation! He knew him!"

Without care, 'Amon' threw the main into his furniture, bruised, but alive. Before he could ask anything else, steam rapidly began to form around the intruder, obscuring him. When it finally cleared, he was gone; a water puddle by the sink the only sign someone was there.

* * *

"He didn't know anything either."

Throwing off the mask and uniform, Tong slumped in a chair in the dormitory room Rohan was lending to him. None of the others save Rohan, Shing, and Kushina (now stuck in an Air Temple Island room for fear of her life) knew what he was doing with his late nights. With nothing else to do, he turned on the television.

 _Our top story, Amon strikes again! Eyewitnesses report a man dressed as the infamous Equalist terrorist leader appearing and threatening another man in the fourth such attack. The victim this time; Joon Wufei, a construction company owner with no ties to non-bender rights issues or Internet free speech claims did not report any items stolen however. When pressed for a statement, Mr. Wufei refused comment. The Avatar Affair's office released a statement today stating that quote 'If this is a joke, it is in extremely poor taste' end quote._

"Nothing, right?"

"No. He gave me another name, but still nothing."

"Maybe going around threatening everyone on that list is the wrong way to go. They're all associates, right? That doesn't make them all guilty by default."

"Well what the hell else am I supposed to do?" Tong lamented. "This list is the only lead we have. Whoever set up that trap at Kushina's job covered it up, and we didn't exactly stay long enough to get clues."

"Speaking of, are you gonna talk to her?"

Tong's eyes went wide for a second, but his expression became much more sullen. "Kushina? What do I tell her? 'Sorry I kinda cost you your job, forced you to stay low and possibly need to skip town, and probably ruined your life. Friends?"

"Well it's better than giving her the silent treatment."

Sighing, Tong got up from his chair and headed down the hall where Kushina had been staying. Breathing deeply, he knocked. A familiar voice answered.

"Come in."

Tong entered, but didn't get more than an inch past the door before the book was thrown at him. To be precise, a rather thick copy of _The History of Mechanized Warfare_ nearly knocked him clear in the head.

"Bad time?"

"GET OUT!"

"Look, this wasn't intentional. I told you that when…"

"OUT!" A copy of _Secret Lives of the Earth Maidens_ was thrown just to hammer the point home. Luckily, the door shut just in time before it could hit someone. Sighing heavily, Tong returned to his room.

"Didn't go well?"

"What do you think?"

* * *

The Avatar Affair's office was founded ten years prior in 244 AG as a response to what was framed as 'more complicated problems that required a more organized solution.' Since that time, offices and facilities existed in both Republic City and in cities across the four nations, although the Northern Water Tribe's facility was not scheduled to open for another month.

It was here where a middle aged appearing woman, clad in a green military dress uniform, with a group of advisors, observed the firing of the a cannon attached to a mecha tank. The bright pink energy blasted through steel targets as if they were nothing.

"Impressive if I do say so myself," her host, a white haired man with narrow eyes and a white suit boasted. "While spirit vine weapons are still extremely restricted by the Spirit Portal Treaty, we have been able to simulate and downsize the result for use on our mecha tanks using alternative power sources. The result is a weapon capable of firing a beam of massive destructive power, but is precise enough to use in battle without fear of annihilating an entire city.

"It is…quite an impressive weapon Mr. Ping. Will it be ready for use for the army?"

"Of course, honored Avatar. While this model is equipped on our test bed Govarian unit, we've already begun finalizing our production model, the Skull Knight, for deployment."

"Excellent. I think that's all that needs to be seen."

"And at such a small scale, we can sneak in heavy artillery without any of the obvious issues using a stationary platform…"

"I said that's enough," the woman re-stated. "As long as it gets the job done, quickly and efficiently, the specifics are unimportant."

The woman turned away, flanked by numerous guards and advisors as Ping left towards an office. Immediately, they began to vie for her attention.

"Madame Avatar, we've gotten a report concerning another land dispute."

"Your contacts at the Northern Water Tribe want to book your hotel for the groundbreaking ceremony next month."

"Commander Nan has again asked for a formal declaration of support for the Earth Kingdom on behalf of Emperor Xing. He has noted that tension on both sides is extremely high."

"I will deal with all these things later," the woman sternly replied. "I require rest."

A car was waiting for the woman, which soon sped her to a hotel by the facility. Once there, she shut the door to her room, with only one man besides her, a black haired man with a thin mustache clad in similar military wear with a pair of dark sunglasses, almost like a visor, over his head. The only other difference was the cape he wore, a black piece of cloth reserved for the Avatar's highest-ranking advisors.

"Inquisitor Han, it's happening again."

"The déjà vu honored Avatar?"

"I remember events, names, places. Great battles. But I can't even remember my own partner. I can't remember her voice, her touch, her kiss. What would we talk about on cold winter nights? "

"Just her, honored Avatar?"

"No Han. My friends, I can't remember their sounds, the little memories we had…"

"Honored Avatar, I am aware that you outliving your friends and your **ahem** , partner, has been difficult. But it was expected of all the Avatars. Generally speaking, the Avatar lives a much longer life than us mere humans do. Besides, to honor their memories, we must press forward with our plans."

The woman sighed, looking over some paperwork. "I am aware Inquisitor. I will deal with the outstanding requests after some rest."

"Of course honored Avatar."

"And Han?"

"Yes?"

The woman's face softened, saying aloud "Thank you. Without you, I would be completely lost."

"I live to serve honored Avatar."

"You have been by my side for twenty years, since you were 25! Call me Korra. That's an order, Han."

"O…of course H…Korra."

Leaving the Avatar as is; the man named Han went to his own room, where he went in front of a computer, looking at a group at the other end.

 _Inquisitor, the task force you've assembled to deal with the Specialist has arrived in Republic City. How do we draw him out?_

"I've heard that a man dressed as Amon has been torturing people without any set pattern. Woolong to Polar Waffles say that's the Specialist. Wait for him to strike, then capture him – alive."

* * *

He didn't want to try this again, but considering that striking fear into random associates of his father as Amon was proving fruitless, and Kushina was likely a week away from wanting to hear anything out of him, he didn't have much of a choice.

Now he stood in front of the entrance to the "Forest of the Spirits" the site of the old Republic City downtown, now a nature preserve for spirits and human tourists. At the center, the spirit portal he would need. All he needed to do was deal with the standard disclaimer, delivered by a bored guard.

"Sir, please be advised before entering the Forest of the Spirits that Republic City is not responsible for any injuries, possessions, or other unpleasant effects you may suffer while inside. Be advised that spirit vines are restricted under the Spirit Portal Treaty of 174 AG, and illegal possession of such is considered to be a Class 3 offense punishable by up to 25 years in prison or a 250,000 woolong fine."

"I am aware."

"Thank you, enjoy your stay. Please consider making a donation to the Spirit Preservation Fund on the way out and don't forget to stop at the gift shop."

With the bored guard placated by reciting his mantra, Tong journeyed into the forest towards the spirit portal. The various creatures around him paid him no mind, nor did the tourists. A few buzzed past him, but other than stopping to pet a creature that resembled a cat with a flower on its head, he pressed forward. Finally, he crossed through the portal, recognizing the alien surroundings. It was time to move forward.

 **WHACK!**

A cracking blow sent the man to the ground as he looked up next to the entrance of the portal, a being with a shape of a man in thick armor, but no form, as if the area where he was supposed to be was composed entirely of fog.

"You again."

 **YOU ARE NOT WELCOME AMONG THE SPIRITS WHELP! LEAVE!**

Gathering himself from the ground, Tong wiped the slight trace of blood from his face. "I must speak with Korra."

 **KORRA IS A MURDERER! NONE MAY SPEAK WITH HER! ALL IN HER LINE ARE ACCESSORIES TO HER CRIME!**

"I'm not the Avatar, but I must speak with the past…"

 **DO NOT LIE!** the being shouted, his voice echoing throughout the plain, scaring away other spirits. **YOU ARE THE AVATAR, AND THE AVATAR IS UN-NEEDED HERE! LEAVE NOW!**

Tong had heard enough. Immediately he had charged forward, using Fire Nation style boxing in an attempt to knock some sense into his tormentor. Unfortunately, the blows proved fruitless, passing through him as if they didn't exist.

 **MERE FISTS? IS THIS WHAT THE AVATAR IS REDUCED TO?**

"I can't bend here," Tong shouted, "but I can still kick your…"

 **NO, YOU CANNOT,** was all the being said before disappearing. His voice however, echoed in the air.

 **YOU BORE ME. LEAVE THIS PLACE AND YOU MAY LIVE TO RUIN THE LIVES OF OTHER HUMANS, THE WAY YOU DID OURS. STAY AND YOUR LIFE IS FOREFIT.**

"But Korra!"

 **THERE IS NO KORRA TO SPEAK TO. THERE ARE NO PAST LIVES TO SPEAK TO. THERE IS ONLY YOUR PRESENCE. A PRESENCE THAT RUINS THE LIVES OF ALL AROUND YOU.**

Dejected, Tong turned back. Physical might was not able to win the day, as much as he wanted it to. Tong needed to work off this frustration somehow.

He didn't offer a donation, earning some sneers on the way out.

* * *

The food was technically good, spices were used properly, but it was…wrong. Being there was wrong. And it had been infuriating.

"I'm going home."

"What?" Shing couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was expecting the anger, the frustration, but not this level of what could only be described as sheer fearlessness. There was no fear, no concern, and no attempt to try and sound forceful, just a very calm statement.

"I can't stay here. I have to go home, get my stuff."

"And you don't think that creep in the mask that tried to kill us is going to have your place scouted out?"

"I quit my job. I figured they'd fire me anyway, but anyone who wants to kill someone as part of a conspiracy? Not exactly someone I want to work for. They don't need me now."

"True. About Tong…"

"Don't," she flatly replied. "I'll deal with him…eventually."

"He feels terrible," Shing continued. "You have to know the last thing he wanted to do after meeting you again for two days was to ruin your job."

"I said don't worry about it. I get it. After all," she added, "I did save you two idiots, didn't I?"

"At least tell the Grandmaster before you go."

"Of course."

* * *

"AHHHH!"

The flattening of two tires unceremoniously derailed the car carrying Minister Qin. Before anyone realized what was happening, a hole was burned through the roof of the vehicle, and a powerful hand dragged the minister out.

"A…Amon! What do you want with me?"

"YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS!" the masked man answered as he leapt, impossibly high for a non-bender, towards the roof of a building.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!"

"The government of Republic City had elements responsible for the death of Dr. Mao. Who ordered the hit?"

Still blubbering in fear, the minster was on the verge of tears looking into the mask of his captor. Finally, he began to form coherent sentences.

"There was a joint United Republic/Avatar Affair's operation to deal with a Dr. Mao, over restricted goods! Orders came from the top!"

"The top?"

"The Avatar! It was spirit related! All those issues go through Avatar Affairs!"

It all made sense to Tong at that point. Any sort of hit to kill his father and silence rumors of a second Avatar would come from the fake. Clearly he was wasting time thinking the Avatar was a pawn. He didn't need to kill Korra last, no; he needed to kill her first!

"Where is Avatar Korra?"

"She's going to be in town in two days for some meetings! But it's not like you can get near her!"

"Watch me."

 _HALT!_

Turning around to see the source of the voice, the masked Tong dropped his prey and looked behind. Six men, or rather, four men and two women judging by their uniforms; all dressed in black suits with a distinct red pattern on the front of their uniforms. Each seemed to have holsters for varying weapons. One of the women stepped forward.

"We have orders to bring you in, Amon. Put the minister down and come with us."

"And you are?"

"The Youxia of Vatuu, a taskforce specifically designed to hunt down criminals like yourself."

"Cute name for a bunch of kids show heroes."

"Says the man dressed like the Equalist terrorist."

Each of the members of the Youxia drew a weapon, one a metal bola that began spinning rapidly, one two Shocker pistols, colored black and white, a third drew a staff with a long blade at the end, the fourth, the other woman of the group, opened a water sack as the water formed into a whip around her right arm. The fifth drew a small piece of wood, seemingly pathetic compared to his compatriots, until it burst into flame, revealing a literal sword of fire.

However, the woman in the front drew no weapon. She only assumed a fighting stance reminiscent of a chi-blocker. Despite this, her voice was fearless.

"Last chance. Dead or alive, you're coming with us." The masked man offered a one-word reply.

"No."

Steam began to form around the masked figure when the man wielding the staff made his move. With a rapid motion, a powerful gust of air swept the steam away as the woman with the whip and the man with the bola moved in. Undeterred, the masked man struck the ground, causing it to collapse and throw the group off balance as he leapt away, flames assisting in his jumps.

"Agent two, see to the minister. The rest of you, after him!"

Even with one of their agents seeing to the minister, the remaining five were relentless. Any time he touched solid ground, Tong was forced to dodge either swings of a water whip, shocker bolts, or air currents. While only one was a metal bender, they all seemed to use grappling hooks of some kind to move from roof to roof, swinging to the top with the aid of their own bending skills. All he could do was dodge, duck, and turn to the side, as each of his pursuers attempted to capture him or take him out.

Going to the streets wasn't an option. There were civilians down there, and he was pretty sure these people didn't care who got caught in the crossfire.

* * *

The trip back to Kushina's apartment seemed normal enough, the same route she had used countless times after coming home from work, or seeing friends at a club, or the occasional date from someone who inevitably never seemed to gel with her. Give all those dates credit; none of them had her foil bank robberies.

Still, as much as she wanted to, Kushina found herself unable to stay completely mad at Tong, as least not as much as he did confuse her. The Earth Republic man seemed like he was trying to be two different people, one the overly enthusiastic kid from her youth, the guy that chased off bullies and never saw a competition he could say 'no' to. The second was a dark, brooding figure that tried to stay angry all the time and insisted that he was going to kill Korra. The problem was that the hate seemed…forced, as if he had to actively try to stay angry because it wouldn't last otherwise.

"Enough of that," she thought. It was time to go home, and then tomorrow look into seeing if Varrick Industries was hiring for that new Fire Nation facility. It would get her further away from her father, and that would cut down on his requests to get her to take a teaching job at the dojo.

That reminded her, she needed to make sure the place Varrick's offices were had a chi blocking dojo nearby.

Still, she had connections, a strong resume, and experience in a field that wasn't exactly brimming with qualified applicants. She could easily land on her feet. In fact, she was sure that getting away from a company involved in a conspiracy to control the world was probably a good thing.

Reassuring herself that her life was going to be just fine despite the notable setback of quitting a job with a murderous conspirator as a CEO, Kushina walked home with her head held high.

Only to gasp and cringe as she saw an explosion on a nearby rooftop.

"Oh no, not again."

* * *

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was becoming too risky. His only chance of escape was heading down to the streets below. The Youxia were relentless, taking a chance to fire upon him every second he tried to pause. Seeing his opening after dodging two Shocker bolts, Tong took his chance and landed in an alleyway, hoping to lose his pursuers in the small crowd that formed. It was then he saw the last person he hoped to see that night.

"Raava, did this happen to the others?"

Raava didn't answer, yet another reason Tong didn't consider himself to be the Avatar. What did answer were his pursuers, all six landing on the ground as he rang towards her. Their leader's voice rang out, her orders ominous.

"Do not let him escape! Take out anyone who gets in the way!"

He knew what he had to do. Without wasting any time, he picked up Kushina and leapt back towards the tops of the buildings.

"What are you doing?!"

"Keeping you safe, I swear! Look!"

On the streets below, people were knocked aside and objects destroyed as their pursuers searched for their quarry. One noticed and with the assistance of a grappling hook attached to his wrist, gave pursuit.

"Look out!"

The windows of the office building were blown aside by the gust of wind, but the pair still crashed rather forcefully into a cubicle. Luckily for Kushina, Tong took the brunt of the fall, getting up to his feet.

"Everyone's home for the day. Let's AAAARGH!"

"What a shame. I was aiming for the head."

Clutching his leg, the scorch of the bolt clearly visible, Tong, still masked, looked down the barrel of the two pistols his pursuer was wielding.

"We told you. Now surrender."

"No."

Another second and it was likely the man would have fired. Instead, a blur of fists and feet emerged from behind the cubicle, scissoring the assailant's legs and taking him to the ground, where he soon met a flurry of elbows pointed at his head. After the fifth, the man lost consciousness, the woman taking his two guns from their wire holders.

"I think I'll keep these. And you, what are you thinking?"

"Hold it right there!" Both Tong and Kushina grimaced, looking at their pursuers. Kushina wasted no time raising her newly acquired pistols in defense, only for the water whip wielder to swat them aside. As the man with the flaming sword advanced on her, another voice interrupted.

"Leave her alone!"

"Or else what?" their leader asked.

From beneath his mask, Tong smiled at the presence of a chair with metal legs. Quickly, one was bent around the fallen assailant's neck, wrapping around with the intention of choking him.

"I propose a trade."

"Do tell," the woman replied, her voice genuinely curious.

"This woman is a civilian I tried to get out of harm's way. And the damage you'll cause to the city would likely be unacceptable. I'll give you back your man in exchange for your withdrawal."

While the other members of the Youxia of Vattu raised their weapons, presumably to fight to the death, their leader raised her hand.

"Lower your weapons."

"But Number 1?"

"I said lower your weapons!"

The woman stepped forward, picking up the injured man and holding him over her shoulder. "Withdraw."

The group turned towards the window, vanishing into the night. However, before the woman left, she turned back to face her opponents one last time.

"This isn't over. Next time we meet, Specialist, I will flay you alive!" Kushina only had one word to reply.

"Specialist?"

An hour later, in Kushina's former apartment, Tong sat, unmasked drinking a glass of tea and pondering what he had to do. She had been quite insistent on NOT being carried off in Tong's arms from rooftop to rooftop, so the pair (after depositing the Amon costume in a nearby trash can), took the elevator down to the first floor and explained they were civilians that ran for cover. The security guard waved them off once he was sure that the pair had nothing on them related to the business. Once home, and sure they weren't being followed, Kushina put on a pot of tea as Tong sat on the couch.

"This has been the worst possible way to re-unite with someone I can think of," he lamented.

"Hey," she answered, "at least it's not boring."

"So you're not mad?" Her cross expression suggested otherwise.

"No, I'm mad. But the evil company, the conspiracy to kill people, that's not your fault. You just kinda dragged me along for the ride."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know. But you were kinda always like that."

Tong could only look on confused as she continued. "You were always trying to help people out, keep people safe from bullies, go into competitions and races, all of it. Except now instead of fighting that jerk Mei Mei, you're fighting conspirators."

"I still want to make it up to you. Maybe I could try and get you a new job over in testing."

"How are you gonna do that?"

"My dad," Tong continued, "knew a lot of businessmen. I figure the ones that don't want to kill us could probably help you."

"I appreciate it."

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but the whole book at head thing convinced me not to."

"Yeah, can you blame me? I needed some time."

He nodded, looking at his friend hold up the two pistols she took from their assailant earlier in the evening. He was still wondering how she got them past that guard.

"This kinda sums it up."

"Two Shockers?"

"You gave me two pistols. You're never boring to be around, I give you that. So, when are you going to knock it off with this dark avenger bit?"

Tong shook his head, even as he looked on at the teacup. "Not till I get to the bottom of it all."

"Korra?"

"She comes to town in a few days. And I'm going to kill her."


	4. Statement

The room Minister Qin was in was rather well decorated, with lush carpeting, several bookcases, and three couches by a large window, allowing its occupants an excellent view of the spirit portal in Republic City and the surrounding park. Still, he felt a sense of terror having been summoned to the main headquarters of Avatar Affairs following the incident with the masked man. As if to confirm those fears, the twin doors swung open, revealing one of the Avatar's highest-ranking assistants, his green cape flowing behind as he sat down.

"Welcome Minister. Forgive the wait; I had to see to some matters quickly. Do you need anything? Water? Tea? Pop?"

"Inquisitor Han! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sitting down on one of the couches, the Inquisitor began. "I understand you were assaulted by a man dressed as Amon. What did he ask you about?"

Pausing for a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, the minister replied "A Dr. Mao. The joint investigation concerning illegal spirit world artifacts."

"I'm not entirely familiar with that file. I'll look it up later. What did you tell him?"

The minister paused again, before replying, "That it was a joint investigation. He then asked about the Avatar."

An eyebrow rose from the mustachioed Inquisitor. "He intends to target Avatar Korra?"

"That appears to be his intention, yes." Han nodded.

"Excellent. You may go now. Do not repeat a word of this to anyone, is that understood?"

"Of course Inquisitor."

As Qin got up and left, Han went into another room, this time in the basement of the building. It was a facility designed to act as a training ground for soldiers, with a barracks for quick deployment in case any issues occurred on the floor above. It was there where six people were waiting for him.

"Hello Huang. I read your report. The Specialist escaped."

"Yes Inquisitor. It will not happen again."

"The report," Han continued, "called out a specific agent. Tsu Gan-Lan, code-name Point Blank. Where is Mr. Lan?"

"Here sir," replied a dark skinned man, his expression blank.

"You had cornered the Specialist at which point you were disarmed by an accomplice. Correct?"

"After I wounded him, sir," Lan responded. "I was moving in to restrain him when I was attacked and disarmed.

"And how would you have done things differently?"

Looking on at his superior a minute, Lan replied, "I would have carried a different weapon."

"Continue."

"I normally go into the field with two pistols for versatility. However, they were easy for her to disarm despite the plastic wire I keep on me to prevent such incidents, and were later taken."

"How do you plan to fix this?"

"My new load out only has one pistol as a sidearm while I use a defense carbine as my primary weapon. It's far more stable to hold and difficult to disarm."

Han stood silent for a moment and then said "Very well." Turning to address the rest of the assembled team, he continued.

"I have a new mission for all of you. We know the Specialist plans to target the Avatar, likely during the speech she will be making at the Republic City Art Gala. You will be part of a sting operation to bring him in when he engages the Avatar directly.

"You plan to let the Specialist engage the Avatar?" a man with brown hair asked.

"Yes. The Specialist has no idea what he's up against. By the time he realizes it; the trap will be sprung. Oh, and Mr. Lan?"

"Yes Inquisitor?"

"Everyone gets to make a mistake. But there is a notable difference between a mistake…and incompetence. I can tolerate the former. Not the latter." His words were cold, direct, and emotionless. Nevertheless, Lan was chilled to the bone.

"I understand Inquisitor."

"Then let's get to planning. The speech is In 30 hours. We need to be ready."

* * *

Multi-tasking was a skill any grandmaster had to learn in his or her years of experience. The late Grandmaster Jinora was renowned for being able to do a multitude of things at once and do them well, everything from teaching a class of elite students to ensuring her daughter didn't run off from her sight. The skills of multitasking among Air benders were once again on full display, as Grandmaster Rohan oversaw a class of students practicing form on the island while addressing what, to him, was an utterly ridiculous proposal.

"You want a team of Airbenders to assist you in assassinating the fake Korra? Out of the question!"

"But I need someone to cover the…"

"That would be tantamount to an act of war!"

The sounds of yells and grunts filled the air even as Tong looked at the Grandmaster, whose face remained unchanged.

"If you want to get yourself killed, I can't stop you. But I won't support you or say it's a good idea!"

"What choice do I have?" Tong answered. "She's the best lead I have, and I know she's a fake. I can beat her easily!"

"And then what?" Rohan snapped back. "All you will have done is shown people you're a murderer, not the Avatar."

"I'm not the Avatar!"

"As much as you try to deny it, you are. And all you want to do is kill the impostor when that will just make Korra a martyr and those who masterminded the plan will be no closer to being found."

"I have to do this."

"Because killing the fake Korra will cause all the answers to fall into place, won't it? It will make the death of your father go away, won't it? I can't stop you, but I will not help you in pointless murder."

The stare from Tong was cold and sharp. After several minutes, he only replied "Very well," and walked off.

* * *

The crowd present at the Republic City Art Gala was bustling with movers and shakers, men and women of wealth and prestige who looked over the various exhibits with interest, both real and feigned. Security was tight, with clothed police officers patrolling the outside of the building and men in suits observing the inside. In the midst of all this fervor was Avatar Korra, who calmly greeted guests, never staying in one place too long as she looked on at one of her advisors.

"Is everything ready for the speech?"

The man, a short, stout man and his associate, a tall, muscular female, both nodded at the request.

"It won't be for another fifteen minutes though. Please, enjoy yourself. I hear the stewed sea prunes are quite good."

"Fine." Taking the cue, Korra went along the crowds, most of them art enthusiasts and other wealthy types, all of whom were eager to speak with the Avatar about various issues from the mundane to the (in their eyes) life threatening. Among them was a man with Air Bender tattoos, although his suit seemed to blend in the same as the others.

"The Air Temple sent a representative? I was hoping one of the Grandmasters could…"

"I apologize, Honored Avatar," the man began, "but I was sent in their stead. They desperately wanted to be here but were unable to due to prior commitments, especially given the nature of much of the art here."

"Yes," Korra answered with a chuckle. "A good portion of the art here belonged to the old Air Nation prior to the genocide. Avatar Affairs has spent years trying to rescue it from criminals, Fire Nation families that took them as spoils, or just destroyed temples."

"The governing bodies of the Air Nomads appreciate all you have done for us," the man answered, shaking her hand earnestly. The gesture was returned, politely if not as earnestly.

"The late Grandmaster Tenzin was the one who taught me Air Bending," she replied. "It was always his dream to see the Air Nation flourish, and I hope that recovering this art helps to restore the culture lost during the genocide."

"It was you who made the resurrection of the Air Nomads possible," the man reminded her, before Korra took her leave. Nodding as she walked away, the man spoke into a small speaker that he placed on his ear.

 _Well?_

"I'm no good at events like these. I feel ridiculous in this suit."

 _Boy, you're here because you're surrounded by art that was thought lost during the genocide of the Air Nomads! Pieces that the nations and Avatar Affairs spent decades trying to recover! Have some appreciation for the art and culture of your people!_

"…I'm here to make sure Tong doesn't do anything stupid, aren't I?"

 _Shing, no power in the mortal or spirit realms can prevent that boy from doing something stupid, especially considering how angry he is. No, I just need you to keep him from doing something irredeemably stupid, like revealing his identity._

"I understand. I'm going to go try some of the stewed sea prunes. At least the food at gatherings like this is supposed to be good."

Enjoy the arts, my boy.

Nodding, the young man went towards the buffet table, unaware of what was happening outside. As he sat down to a helping of the stewed sea prunes, the Avatar took to the podium, presumably to deliver her speech.

* * *

Shooting a pistol was different from piloting a machine that shot a rifle.

It seemed logical enough that using a machine to do a task would be different than doing it with her hands, but Kushina had still thought that her experience firing weapons in a mecha suit would apply to firing actual weapons in her hand. As it stood, her shots tended to be way too far off the mark, frustrating the woman to no end.

"You know, you can't hold something like that with such a loose grip."

A man, no older than his 20's, looked on at her holding the pistol. Nodding, she lowered the weapon onto a nearby table and looked at him. "What do I need to do?"

"Hold the weapon with both hands. You need a tighter grip, but not so tight you can't move it." Picking up the weapon, Kushina attempted to follow the man's initial advice. The next two shots were closer to their target, although still not dead on.

"See? Now I could give you some lessons and turn you into a real sharpshooter if you'll allow it."

"…You observe people to see who needs help to sell your lessons?"

"I tend to have a good eye, as you can see. And if you want, my other clients can vouch for my skills as an instructor."

"How much are we talking per lesson?"

* * *

A mixture of clapping and "Ooohs" greeted Avatar Korra as she took to the podium set up in the art museum. The setting was quite elaborate, with the various exhibits on the side with a water fountain taking the center of the main gallery room. The water flowed from a statue of a past Avatar, Kuruk of the Water Tribe, or more specifically, a "barrel" the statue was holding.

"Thank you all for coming. We are gathered here to celebrate the past, while looking forward to the future. Gathered here are works from all four nations, many thought to have been lost in war, lost in disaster, or merely lost to time, rescued, restored, and on display for all. The various scrolls, portraits, and paintings are all representative of a larger culture that we hope to show, even as society continues to advance."

Polite clapping from the audience supported the Avatar's speech even as she stopped to catch her breath. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the Avatar, paying no mind to the masked man looking in from the outside.

"When Avatar Affairs was first founded, many questioned the motives. They did not see the good that formalizing the position could do for the world. But I believe that this exhibit is a tiny example of that good, to meet the demands of a changing world. When I first started, the world was only starting to come together. Pro Bending was a bunch of a small sponsor driven teams, now the IPBL encompasses all the nations. The Air Bending position didn't even exist when I was playing, because of the significant lack of Air Benders to actually play. Avatar Korra's pro-bending career will likely be just a footnote in the record books."

Relaxed laughter met the Avatar as she paused for a moment. The crowd was fixated on her every word, paying no attention to the masked man on the roof, and with no knowledge of the unconscious guards outside.

"But it's true. The world has changed. International flight, once only possible with sky bison, is now commercial with airlines. Computers and phones are present to all, with communication possible around the world. Avatar Affairs is building a space station, the Star Flower, so that we may study what exists beyond this world. But for all these positives, we must deal with the negatives. Corruption, war, greed; these things all fester with the aid of our progress. Weapons of terrifying power are now commonplace among the nations. War and strife have claimed the lives of many, including friends of mine. Those in the Earth Republic probably still remember the assassination of President Bolin and his wife. And this is why Avatar Affairs must continue to strive for balance in the world. If we do not take a more active…"

The speech was interrupted by the sound of wind shattering the windows of the building as a form leapt inside. Guards raised their weapons but were quickly tossed aside by the windstorms. Others were tossed aside before they could even hope to use bending. Among the crowd, people gasped while one man just put his palm in his face, setting aside his bowl of stewed sea prunes. The man, wearing a red and white mask with a yin-yang symbol on the forehead, pointed at the Avatar.

"You killed my family imposter! Prepare to die!"

A blade emerged from the masked man's hand as he charged forward to strike Korra down. However, before he could, a wall emerged to prevent him from doing so, followed by a powerful blast of water from the fountain in the center of the room. The man wasted no time sending his own stream of water at Korra before she could capitalize, standing to his feet. Both had the same reaction.

"That's impossible." Korra was the first to respond.

"How can anyone else wield all four elements?"

"How can the false Avatar do so?"

"Who are you?"

"I already told you," the masked assailant replied even as a ball of fire formed in his hands. "I'm the one who's going to kill you."

"I've heard that before," Korra scoffed. "You're not the first to try." The man charged forward, blade in hand.

"Lucky then you won't hear it again! Because after this, no one else will be able to!"

Walls of stone attempted to stop the masked man as he leapt over them, shooting a stream of fire down at Korra. She countered perfectly, using water from the fountain as a protective barrier. The water was soon split apart by two currents of wind, leaving the masked man free to hit his prize. Or at least it would, had a stream of fire not leapt out to meet him, forcing him to dodge.

As the two continued to exchange blows, guards in the audience raised their weapons.

"Take the shot!"

"They keep moving! What if we hit the Avatar?"

"We'll have to take that…" **THUNK.**

Neither guard got their chance to raise their weapons as they were disarmed by two people behind them, knocking them unconscious with quick blows to the back of their head. Once done, one spoke into a device on his ear.

"They've begun."

"Good. Wait for your opening. Don't let the guards interfere."

As the watchers looked on, the rest of the crowd stood agape at the sight at two people wielding all four of the elements against each other. Even more shocking, the masked man appeared to be getting the upper hand on Korra, countering her moves with increasing speed and ferocity. Finally, a stream of fire broke through Korra's defenses, blinding her and causing her to fall to the ground. The masked assailant stood over the Avatar, a metal bent blade in his hands.

"Any last words, murderer?"

No response came in words. Instead, Korra's eyes turned completely white as she stood forward. The masked man gasped, lowering his blade in shock.

"No…that…that's impossible!"

Korra stood, her eyes white and her expression blank, as a thunderous torrent of water struck the masked assailant. He dropped his blade, only to be pelted by rocks and tiles of increasing scale, some being ripped from the walls of the museum itself. He did his best to bat them away as a stream of fire approached, one a wall of earth barely came up in time to deflect. The crowd, horrified moments earlier, was now cheering for Korra to defeat her assailant.

"Get her Avatar!"

"You can do it!"

"No, no, no, NO!" the masked man yelled. "I didn't come this far to lose to an impostor! Korra, you WILL DIE!"

A stream of flame surrounded the man's fist, slamming into Korra's face. She however, did not fall, responding with a maelstrom of ice and stone, knocking him down and slightly cracking his mask. From within the crowd, several people began to move.

"He's down! Take him!"

What happened next in the midst of the confusion was difficult for anyone to process. Men and women ran through the crowd to arrest the masked assailant, only to be blown back by powerful wind gusts and a formation of fog. Korra herself went through the fog looking for her opponent, only to collapse into a heap on the ground. The assailant was gone.

"He had help in the crowd! Call it in!"

"Control to headquarters! This is Entangler! Target escaped and the Avatar is unconscious! She's breathing erratically! We require an ambulance for the civilians as well!"

* * *

"You idiot!"

Clutching his ribs inside the car waiting out back, Tong removed the cracked mask as the passenger next to him looked on, face full of disapproval.

"Shing, I was winning. How does an impostor have the Avatar state?"

"You caused a frenzy, a mass panic and that's about it. You haven't solved anything. All you were trying to get was some personal satisfaction, and look where it got you."

"Get me to a hospital," Tong flatly stated. "You can lecture me when I'm better."

"There's a medical facility on the island. We can treat you there without tipping off the police, who are sure to be looking for you."

"And the driver?"

"Leung? She's one of the Grandmaster's more trusted agents. There were about four of us running interference. When the smoke clears it's going to look like you escaped under your own power. You know, besides the steam trick."

Tong nodded, nursing his injuries as the car went towards the waiting ferry, disappearing into the night.


	5. Resolve

The cafes and restaurants that lined the main street of New Teilong were bustling on your average Sunday, and this was no different. The presence of the military patrolling the city was not enough to prevent the more affluent members of the city from relaxing in a café, as men and women discussed the news and their lives even as mecha tanks and solders would occasionally pass through certain streets. Today however, one conversation was on everyone's mind.

"Someone who can bend all four elements? And he tried to kill the Avatar?"

"Is it about the Earth Republic?"

A group of friends looked on at the café, ready to have a relaxing brunch. That was until they saw the flash in the sky.

A rocket zoomed towards a nearby building and collided with it, causing an explosion that leveled the upper floors, raining debris in the street and forcing civilians to flee in panic. Soldiers and vehicles quickly zoomed towards the scene as a second rocket struck a second building three blocks away, leading to a duplicate scene. From overhead, two helicopters buzzed through the skies, blaring an audio message.

 _The Earth Kingdom army has brazenly attacked Earth Republic cities yet still believes they can hide military structures behind civilians without punishment. We are here to inform them they are mistaken. Several Earth Republic artillery and mecha tank regiments are approaching your city, and we will reduce it to rubble to drive out all Earth Kingdom forces. But we are not butchers. Your leaders have six hours to surrender unconditionally before we commence a full-scale assault on the city, regardless of who is still here. Any attack on our waiting forces and we will begin leveling the city with enough firepower to leave it unusable for the Earth Kingdom military. You have been warned._

Most citizens panicked. Soldiers did their best to maintain order even as people ran for their vehicles, for public transport, or for some exit to the city. Amidst the chaos, no one noticed the four teenage delinquents heading towards where the Earth Republic forces were positioned.

* * *

 _178 AG. Republic City Courtroom._

The crowd in the courtroom stood silent as everyone began to prepare for the judge to open the session. In front of the seats with the crowd were two tables, on the left, four men in suits. On the right, Avatar Korra and her partner of four years, Asami Sato, with a female attorney. Press, friends of the Avatar, and government officials all looked on, their curiosity piqued. The mood was tense and full of anger. The judge, a middle aged man in formal robes, banged a gavel to signify that the session was now open.

"What do you think?" Korra asked her attorney. The woman shook her head.

"If we don't convince them today I don't know where we go from here. The Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom refused to even hear our case, and the Water Tribe and Earth Republic both officially said that they'd honor whatever decision the UR court makes. You should be proud Avatar. You're about to set a legal precedent."

"Let's hope it's in our favor."

"We are now ready to hear the closing arguments in the civil suit of The Spirit/Human Relationship Bureau vs. Avatar Korra concerning the injunction for adoption of Te Chau, current age 1. We will hear from the defense first.

"Thank you Your Honor," the attorney next to Korra began as she stood up. "We contest that Avatar Korra and her partner should have every right to adopt, as we've shown numerous character witnesses vouching for their ability to do so, as well as Korra's own monumental contributions to the world at large. Both Korra and Ms. Sato are exemplary human beings and should not be denied the right to raise a child. Furthermore, the child in question deserves to have a family, and we can think of no better family than that of a spiritual leader and a successful businesswoman who have both shown responsibility, courage, and compassion, three things necessary to be a parent. We contend that the Bureau's objection to this marriage is based solely on bias…

"OBJECTION!" one of the men shouted from the other table. "At no point in our argument was the fact that Korra and Asami are a same-sex couple ever mentioned, and it is completely irrelevant to our argument!"

"Sustained," the judge acknowledged. "We have established that the defense's attempt to paint the prosecution's suit as homophobic in nature is without merit. That comment is to be stricken from the record."

"Understood Your Honor," the attorney replied, before sitting down. "But let it be known that Avatar Aang was never denied the right to raise a family. In fact, the children of said family testified on Korra's behalf during earlier proceedings. We would have had his late wife testify had she not passed away earlier in the year."

"And the prosecution? What is your closing statement?"

Rising to address the crowd, the suited man smiled as he looked on at the judge. "Times have changed. And as such, we contend that the Avatar's responsibilities to the world at large would make her incapable of raising a family. A family requires two parents, and with Korra gone at all times, the child would never be able to have the proper family that she deserves, a father and a mother, because one of those figures would be off on a near constant basis. We therefore, in good conscience, cannot allow the adoption to go through, and as our numerous expert witnesses and government officials have noted, and request that the Avatar's request for adoption be denied at this and all points in the future so long as the situation remains the same."

"And what would cause the situation to change?" the judge asked.

"The situation will only change when the Avatar is relieved of her duties," the attorney replied, "which given the nature of being the Avatar, is contingent upon her death."

"I understand. I will make my decision after a 30-minute recess. "

Banging the gavel again, the onlookers filed out, followed by Korra, Asami, and her attorney. Both looked at their representative with an obvious question.

"I don't know. They've done an amazing job of portraying anti-gay sentiment as a matter of global security. If the judge buys Chanming's argument, we won't win."

Korra couldn't help but groan. Chanming, ever since the United Republic appointed him the head of the Spirit/Human Relations bureau following the creation of the new spirit portal, had made no secret of how much he hated Asami Sato. He had done everything he could to deny Korra privacy in the name of having the Avatar ready to answer any challenge. Unfortunately, those noble sentiments also included having paparazzi harass Asami, negatively influence Future Industries stockholders to the point the company was sold to Varrick Industries for about 2/3rds of its actual value, and now a lawsuit designed to keep Korra from adopting a child. He had even gone out of his way to hire an extremely experienced legal team to drag the case out as a matter of national security. As far as Chanming was concerned, Korra's public perception was to be that of a career minded workaholic who was single and focused more on the world than on any personal relationships. And if he had to ruin all those relationships, that was fine.

Korra couldn't help but think of the child in the middle of all this. Chau was a newborn belonging to a couple that had angered the local Triad. In retaliation for an unknown slight, the parents were killed. Naturally, Asami and Korra couldn't have a child via normal means, but when the news of the baby was made, everything fell into place. Or rather, it would have if not for Chanming.

"I'm sorry," Asami stated solemnly. "It's my fault Chanming has been on this warpath."

"It's bias and nothing else!" Korra shouted to her attorney. "If Mako was standing here instead of Asami, this would never have happened!"

"Ouch."

Both Korra and Asami turned around and immediately blushed as the sight of their ex, who waved to the pair.

"M…Mako!" Asami shouted. "I'm so sorry, I didn't…"

Mako shook his head as he reached to embrace both. "I told you, I'd follow you into battle anywhere. That included a legal battle."

Korra nodded. Chanming had grilled Mako when he spoke on behalf of his ex, trying to portray her as incapable of love and he as heartbroken. Instead, Mako portrayed the two as merely incompatible through no fault of their own, and their eventual split amicable, rather than the heated bait for the press he wanted it to be.

"You'd be great parents, and all of us know it," Mako continued. "I just know the court is going to see it that way too."

"Thanks."

Before the trio could continue to converse, Korra's attorney interrupted.

"It's time."

* * *

The judge looked on a statement he typed out as the room sat hushed. With no one interrupting, he began to read.

"The court sympathized with the defendant's desire to start a family, as it is the right of any human under United Republic borders. Furthermore, we understand that the amount that Korra has done for the world and all nations, including the United Republic, cannot be placed into mere words."

Korra sighed. Maybe this would finally…

" _ **HOWEVER…"**_

"However?" Korra asked, only for the judge to continue.

"The responsibilities held by the Avatar in these modern times would result in any family that she attempted to adopt missing a parent. In fact, we would argue that any hypothetical family that Korra and her partner tried to make would have horribly underserved children, and is for the sake of those children, that we sustain the lawsuit filed by the SHRB and deny the application for adoption. Furthermore, as long as Korra's domestic situation remains the same, all future applications shall also be denied. The Avatar's service is to the world, and to allow the adoption to go through would put either the world or any adopted child in danger."

The gavel banged as Korra, in a fit of anger, screamed at the judge.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO START A FAMILY!"

"Well as far as the court is concerned," Chanming answered as he walked out, "you can't." With that remark, Korra ran towards Chanming, prepared to strike him.

"NO! NO!"

* * *

 _She's coming too!_

 _Her vitals are stabilizing. Hyper mode really took a lot out of her._

 _Check her pulse and blood pressure._

 _Normalizing._

"NO!" Korra shouted as she stood up from the bed. Her breath was heavy, her brow covered in sweat. However, she was fully conscious.

"Hono…Korra, are you alright?"

"Han?"

Turning to the side, Korra saw Han, as well as two bodyguards. She looked at her hands, which were trembling.

"W…what happened? I was…dreaming. Before that, there was someone who tried to kill me at the art gala."

"Yes, an assailant attacked you," Han explained "but you were able to drive him off using the power of the Avatar state. He fled into the night, and then you fell unconscious, presumably from the strain of such. Avatar Affairs members took you here, where you've been for about three days. Once I heard the news, I rushed over immediately."

Korra smiled at the thought of her faithful assistant the Inquisitor running to her side, but lamented her battle. "I guess I'm not as strong as I thought," she said.

"Nonsense! You were able to fight the assassin off."

"If he was driven off but I fell, it was a draw. Who was the assassin?" Korra asked. However, the man shook his head.

"We intend to fully debrief you when you're released from the hospital. But the doctor informs me you should rest for at least another day."

"Will that be OK?" Korra asked. Han nodded.

"The world doesn't need the Avatar every waking second of the day. She's entitled to have her own life, is she not?"

Korra nodded. "Can I be left alone?"

"Of course."

The doctors and the like filed out of the room, leaving Korra alone with her thoughts, the pain that was seemingly left behind decades ago now resurfaced. She was never allowed to have a family, a decision lauded by the press and upheld by every nation. The Avatar, after all, must be ready at all times.

Korra looked around, realizing that she was alone. She then looked at her hands, and wept bitterly.

"Minor burns, abrasions, and other bruises, including the ribs. Small cut to the arm, but a fairly decent size cut by the abdomen, closed up with stitches and some help from the water healers. Luckily the cuts weren't deep enough to penetrate anything important. My recommendation is three days rest, particularly for the ribs and cut."

"May I see him?"

"Of course Grandmaster."

The Grandmaster walked into the room where Tong slept, his face still. Immediately, he placed a finger by the abdomen, right on the stitched cut.

"OW! What the hell?!"

"The fruits of your grand quest for revenge," the Grandmaster noted, pressing into his cut a bit further before letting it go. "People knowing you exist, and you being no closer to the mastermind behind the false Avatar."

Tong clutched his body in pain as Rohan added "And it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't sent people to look after you."

"Thank you," was all Tong mustered. The Grandmaster shook his head.

"We'll talk after you feel better. I don't think you're in the proper shape for a lecture. At least you can appreciate our care."

The Grandmaster left as Tong sighed heavily, only for another form to enter the room, a young brown haired woman in a nurse's uniform. Her pale skin only served to accent her grin, present even as she look at the bed laden Tong.

"So, how's the patient doing? You know, after getting himself into a scrape on TV?"

Tong sighed even as the woman glared at him. "Fine."

"Oh, don't be that way," the nurse cooed. "You're going to be under my care for the next three days, and I'd hate to let something…happen to you." Her patient glared at the nurse, which caused her to reply "Kidding! Jeez, you're uptight."

"Can you blame me?"

"Lighten up. After all, I can think of worse places you'd be. Now let's make sure all your vitals are OK. If you're a good patient, I might even give you a sponge bath and clean off all that sweat." The last line was full with teasing, to which Tong smiled, the first time he did since the car drove away.

"Go ahead Nurse."

"That's better. I think a few days off will do you some good."

Her patient nodded as she began to check his blood pressure. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

Four teens looked on outside the city at a row of Earth Republic soldiers, some wielding Shocker rifles, some obvious benders. The sight was an intrusion that even a group of young street punks couldn't stand for. It made sense given how Earth Kingdom schools portrayed the Earth Republic as a vicious group of rebels that wanted to usurp the throne in the name of a few corporations. The message of the evils of the Earth Republic government were drilled into history lessons since birth, and even a bunch of delinquents weren't going to stand for it.

With that thought in mind, the teenage Earth benders threw the soldiers' vehicle into the air, where it landed with a thud, nearly crushing two. The panicked men immediately ran for cover as one spoke into a radio.

"Captain! We're under attack from Earth Kingdom troops! Commence attack! Repeat, COMMENCE ATTACK!"

Several miles away, the primary force of the Earth Republic received the panicked message from their scouts. Immediately, the order was given, and artillery mounted to vehicles began firing, raining down on strategic targets in the city.

"Enemy units are approaching our position sir!"

"Artillery, keep firing until we've confirmed every single Earth Kingdom installation is out of commission! Ox units, move in and make sure that the enemy MT's don't leave the city!"

To the right of the line of vehicles and soldiers, a squadron of mecha tanks sped forward, bipedal legs skating through the concrete roads leading to New Teilong. Their desert camouflage only served to make them appear more visible among the silver and grey buildings, as the two eyes of a horned ox that was the mecha's head looked on.

 _You heard our orders! Take out all the Royals MT's and make sure our boys can finish the shelling before they move in!_

 _YATTE YARUZE!_ Was the reply of the entire squadron in unison. Mecha tanks sped into the city, noticing both civilians and military units in disarray.

 _They didn't even bother evacuations! Look at these guys!_

 _We gave them six hours! Try to minimize civilian casualties, and keep an eye out for road bunkers!_

As soon as that was said, one of the roads between buildings rose up to reveal a ramp heading underground. Emerging from the ramps were the domed mecha of the Earth Kingdom, firing Shocker cannons at their waiting foes. One machine was destroyed instantly as the remaining units went for cover by the buildings.

"Don't let them advance!" Even as artillery fire smashed skyscrapers and smaller buildings, revealing the locations of Earth Kingdom installations, the city had descended into full-blown chaos. Benders from both sides had joined the fray as well, using debris from the destroyed structures as weapons against enemy mecha tanks, while others created defensive positions for their forces. Weapons fired, rocks were thrown, and neither side refused to give an inch, even as man and machine were destroyed in the crossfire.

* * *

When the Grandmaster walked in on Tong's room this time, the young man appeared a bit more relaxed.

"Feel better?"

"I'd feel better if the nurse was in here instead of you," Tong replied sarcastically.

"Just keep your hands to yourself," Rohan answered snidely, before his tone of voice changed to a more somber one. "And let us be serious for a moment, master and student."

"Korra can wield all four elements. She has the Avatar state," Tong noted.

"Yes, and whoever could make an impostor capable of that is very good at covering their tracks. There's a very good reason we didn't announce you were the new Avatar. Whoever is keeping Korra where she is extremely powerful, and odds are we all would have been dead."

"How do you know she isn't the ringleader?" Tong asked.

"Simple. Ever since Korra was replaced, she began working very closely with a select group of advisors, and you can see the lower ranking ones with her at all times. The real Korra HATED the idea of having a bodyguard following her everywhere, and wasn't exactly the biggest fan of bureaucrats."

"So I'm right back to square one?" Tong asked. Rohan shook his head.

"Nonsense! You did get a name during your little escapade as Amon, and you have a location too." Tong nodded.

"The Fire Nation. Well, I need to OWWW!"

The "ow" emerged as Rohan put his finger by Tong's cut again. "Not until you've healed properly. I can't let Nurse Sung let you go until you've gotten proper care.

"FINE! FINE!"

* * *

What remained of New Teilong was debris and destroyed machines. Although civilians were spared the brunt of the violence, the same could not be said for the city itself. Earth Republic forces moved into the remains of the city, benders clearing the roads while Ox MT's moved through the remaining streets, passing by demolished Duck Bats and destroyed walls Earth benders used for cover. An officer in a truck going through the roads lamented the sight as another spoke next to him.

"The Earth Kingdom doesn't seem to care much for the armistice details, do they?"

"They think they can do whatever they want. Well if the Avatar won't end this war, we will."


	6. Point of View

Green shirt, check.

Loose fitting pants, check.

Gauntlet with six pieces of metal on each arm for metal bending, check.

Comfortable running shoes, check.

Loose jacket with hood, check.

And one Air Temple staff with hidden glider, check.

Double-checking his equipment, Tong began moving around, testing his weapons, while outside, Rohan discussed the young man's recovery with his nurse Sung.

"How is he doing?"

"He seems to have recovered fully," the nurse replied. "A few days of carrot and stick treatment seemed to do the trick."

"Carrot and stick?"

"You let the patient relax as much as possible and tend to their wounds…but hit them with the stick if they get too touchy-feely."

"He wasn't that bad I hope."

"Him? No need for the stick. He's harmless when he's not trying to appear brooding. Fairly cute too." She knew he was leering when she came in a few times, but that wasn't stick worthy.

Nodding, Rohan entered the room where Tong had finished outfitting himself. The Grandmaster smiled.

"Good to see you on your feet. So, I presume you're heading to the Fire Nation?"

"Yeah. Apparently the name I found has a business in Capital City. Just in time for the Fall of the Phoenix festival. The parades, the fleet, all of it. He was in the book too, so my father knew him."

"Lovely timing. You'll bring me a souvenir, won't you?"

"I need a ride first," Tong replied. "I can take a jet to…"

"Jet?" Rohan questioned before raising his hand and shaking his head. "No, too suspicious. I know a herder who works in Capital City that houses some sky bison. You can take one of ours to him."

Tong sighed, but agreed. Comet Air, the airline that served the Fire Nation, was renowned for the luxury (and admitted cost) of its higher end seats. A sky bison…wasn't nearly as nice a ride as leather seats and complimentary drinks.

"Besides, think of the money you'll save."

Tong thought _I didn't mind spending it,_ but he wasn't dumb enough to say it aloud.

* * *

"Specialist?"

Having recovered from her injuries, Korra found herself in the headquarters of Avatar Affairs in Republic City, looking over a slideshow presented by numerous men. In particular, the details were being explained by a darker skinned man with a thick beard, his features those of a Water Tribe member.

"That's the codename our intelligence has given him Honored Avatar. We believe him to be the last product of a cell from a Dr. Mao, an agent of Red Lotus."

"RED LOTUS?!" Korra shouted. "That's impossible! I defeated Red Lotus decades ago! I still remember what happened to its leader."

* * *

 _184 AG._

The Republic City Police Headquarters was hardly the place she envisioned meeting with everyone again. And yet in front of Korra stood Tenzin, Meelo, Ikki, Jinora, and Mako. Even little Rohan was here, although the fourteen year old was less "little spirit," and more "overeager teenager itching for a fight." While Tenzin chose to wear traditional Air Nomad robes, the rest of his family was wearing Air Nation wing suits while Mako was clad in the uniform of the Republic City police, the markings identifying him as a captain in the force. As much as she wanted to reminisce with everyone, the matter at hand took her full attention.

"Officer. Or is it Captain now?"

"It's Captain as of last week," Mako replied. "Hell of a way to start my tenure, that's for sure. You missed the party. Everyone came."

"I've been busy," Korra answered. "The only reason I'm here and not at some land dispute is because of how urgent everything is."

"So you can't stay?" Jinora asked. Before Korra could answer that, a rather loud, authoritarian voice interrupted.

"I hate to interrupt the reunion, but we have bigger issues right now."

"Chief Beifong," Korra answered politely. Lin was taken aback by her formality, but putting it aside, directed everyone to a mover screen and a film reel.

"You're all aware that three weeks ago, Red Lotus members sprang Zaheer from prison. Everyone nodded, Korra having remembered the incident from a briefing that had occurred before Chanming sent her off to mediate a Fire Nation request to build a Spirit Vine reactor, something that no nation was willing to allow. All the various missions and the like were starting to blend together, leaving Korra precious non-Avatar related time to do anything but sleep.

"Today, we received this."

The reel sprang to life as the group looked on at the screen. In front of it was Zaheer, older, but looking no less fearsome than the last time he and the Avatar fought.

"This message was broadcast all over Republic City radio, and the reel was given to us by someone we assume was a Red Lotus agent."

 _Citizens of Republic City and the United Republic as a whole. My name is Zaheer, and I am part of Red Lotus. 12 years ago, we gave the Earth Kingdom freedom from a tyrannical government in the hopes that people would rise up and do the same in the other nations. Instead, governments have tighter grips than ever. Clearly you have failed to heed our example._

"We can skip this," Lin remarked as she moved through the reels. "He just rambles for about 10 minutes about his vision for anarchy. To be blunt, it's BORING."

"He hasn't changed a bit in prison," Tenzin lamented.

"Here we go."

 _I therefore make one demand. That in the next 24 hours, the United Republic dissolves, its military, disarms, and that the government in Republic City follows suit. And to show you this demand is not empty, I present to you this._

The camera panned to a rather large device with an all too familiar center, exposed by a window. It was something Korra had hoped to never see again.

 _We are in possession of a spirit vine powered bomb, and there are enough vines here to level the entire city and its surrounding boroughs, gathered from the Spirit Portal park. You fools left the ingredients to a weapon of mass destruction within plain view of tourists. If our demands are not met, if anyone attempts to evacuate the city, or if someone attempts to take me with force, I will detonate the bomb without a second thought. My men are observing the bridges and tunnels leaving Republic City, so if you try to escape, you will doom every single one of your neighbors. You have been warned._

This probably explained why Tenzin was insistent on her arriving via sky bison, and why the matter was deemed urgent.

Lin was quick to fill in the remaining blanks. "We think he's hiding the device somewhere in the tunnels the Republic City subway project is part of. Avatar, both you and Tenzin have dealt with this madman in the past, which is why you've been bought in as consultants."

Korra shuddered, remembering her "dealings" with Zaheer. "Who else do we have?"

"No one outside of the police already in the city", Lin answered. "The UR can't send in troops without fear of Zaheer detonating the bomb. The good news is we have a pretty good general idea of where he's hiding, but, and I hate to say it, need you to go in given the gravity of the situation. None of my men outside of Captain Mako have seen spirit vine weapons up close. You have."

Korra had a litany of questions. How they were going to go in. What she was supposed to do with the bomb. How many Red Lotus spies were on the surface. However, Tenzin spoke aloud before she could say anything.

"I understand. I'll need five members of your force that can Earth bend. Korra and myself will go down to the tunnels where Zaheer is hiding. I know how we can deal with the device."

"I'm going too!" Rohan enthusiastically declared, but Tenzin shook his head towards the boy.

"No, you're staying put. I need you here to ensure that Red Lotus doesn't try to do anything on the surface."

"Hah," Meelo taunted. "Guess it's up to us adults to handle this."

"You're not going either Meelo," Tenzin rebuked. "In fact, none of you are. If too many of us go down there, Zaheer will know we're coming, and if he sets off that bomb before any of us reach it, no one in this city will survive the ensuing blast. In addition, we need to make sure we're not being followed."

"Up to you huh?" Rohan taunted. Meelo offered his brother a menacing glare, until Jinora pulled both apart by the ear.

"Sis! Come on!"

"Yeah, I wasn't gonna OW!"

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Korra asked. Tenzin nodded.

"It may be the only way to ensure that the bomb doesn't damage anyone or anything. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

"And if it does?" she asked, even as the pair along with the police officers descended further into the tunnel. The laid down tracks directed the group, even if trains wouldn't be using the tracks for several years.

"Then, even if you have been busy with your Avatar duties as of late, know that I still think of you as family."

"He's one chamber over," one of the officers began. "The vibrations note a chamber that to be frank, isn't supposed to be here." Tenzin nodded.

"Remember the plan. Stay out here. Korra and myself will sneak in."

The officers all nodded as Korra and Tenzin went into the tunnel. Once inside, they saw a very familiar face floating above the spirit vine bomb from the mover, flanked by several guards.

"So the Avatar sees fit to pay me a visit, presumably when she isn't helping some corporation stomp over someone's rights. As does my old Air Bending teacher. "

Korra winced, remembering what Zaheer had done to her, but stayed firm. She wouldn't be intimidated, even as the four guards advanced on her.

"I warned you not to come. Then again, how could I offer a threat so grand and not expect the governments of the world to send their greatest champion to stop me?"

Korra stood firm even as he growled menacingly. "I'm not afraid of you Zaheer. Your poison is gone." Even as Korra reassured herself aloud, Tenzin came to a realization.

"You set this trap for Korra!"

"I did expect the government to send its enforcer, but it doesn't matter. Not even the Avatar will survive a blast of this magnitude, and the spirit energy will annihilate both Raava and Vaatu. We will finally have balance, and in ten thousand years, have developed a way to annihilate them again, and ensure that nothing disrupts that balance. He nodded towards one of the henchmen by the device.

"Arm the bomb."

One of the men began to flip a set of switches on the device as Korra ran to deal with him. Zaheer swooped in from above in an attempt to intercept him, but was caught by a gust from Tenzin, followed by him leaping into the air, attempting to crack the Red Lotus leader with his staff. Unfortunately, without gravity to deal with, Zaheer moved out of the way fairly easily, floating near the roof of the cavern.

"You're getting old Tenzin. This is a fitting place for your burial."

Korra meanwhile, was able to knock down the man arming the device with a powerful kick, before sending him directly into the wall with an air current. The three other guards attacked, sending pillars of Earth at her as she knocked them aside with blasts of flame assisted by a gust of wind. Even as she did so, the sound of crackling energy became audible.

"It's been armed!" Zaheer taunted. "This is your end Avatar! Not just you, but the entire Avatar cycle ends today!"

Korra and Tenzin regrouped even as they stared at the bomb. Tenzin's words were simple and direct.

"We need to execute the plan. Go!" She didn't hesitate, going through the tunnel the pair had created, sealing it off behind you.

"The Avatar is a coward!" Zaheer taunted, even as he swooped in to attack Tenzin. "But she can't escape this weapon!"

Tenzin smiled. "Yes she can."

Outside of the sealed cavern, Korra shouted one thing to the officers.

"NOW!"

"I feel the air bubble!"

"Start pushing it down!"

All of the Earth benders and Korra collectively pushed the earth surrounding the air bubble Tenzin created further into the earth. Zaheer would have no idea what was happening until it was too late.

"It's feels like a mile down. Is that deep enough?"

"Keep going! We have to completely stifle that bomb!"

Inside the bubble however, Zaheer was not blind to what was happening.

"What is she doing?" Tenzin smiled.

"Sending both you and this damned weapon where it will never harm another soul! And I'm staying to ensure that she can!"

"You can't do this!" Zaheer shouted, absolutely livid even as he attacked Tenzin, now focused on keeping the air bubble in the chamber intact. "You're a member of the Air Nation! You're not allowed to kill!"

"I'm not killing anyone," Tenzin replied, even as he reeled from Zaheer's air assisted punch. "I'm saving millions.

"You fool! You would die to continue the Avatar cycle!?" Tenzin nodded.

"The world needs an Avatar. It will get along just fine without two old men like us."

"Stop this instant!" Zaheer looked to his men to push the bubble covered earth back towards the surface, only to see all three had been laid out rather decisively. Tenzin, still focusing on the air bubble, smiled.

"You can leave if you want to." Zaheer pondered those words, only to see the light that was the bomb emerge from its casing. His opponent smiled, lowering his hands and letting the dirt cave in on the bomb, the Red Lotus leader, and himself.

 _Goodbye everyone. We'll meet again someday. Pema, look after the children for me._

* * *

"It was before my time Honored Avatar," the man began. "Although I imagine the children couldn't have taken it well."

"I don't recall speaking with them, to be honest," Korra answered. "I do remember that we were able to capture the remaining Red Louts members fairly easily once they realized their leader and weapon of mass destruction were buried miles under the city. And I remember the paperwork," she added.

"Still, that's in the past now."

"I understand completely Rofu. But the demise of an organization doesn't get much more absolute than blowing their leader to the spirit world with a weapon of mass destruction."

"Men die, Honored Avatar," Rofu continued, "but ideals live on. In the good doctor's case, he was creating super soldiers. Men that could wield all four elements through artificial modification of their DNA. His plan was to build an army that could bring about anarchy in the world. Particularly, Specialists could infiltrate large crowds, raise havoc, and cause mass panic."

"One survived your raid."

"We believe it may be Dr. Mao's own son, which shows you how little he cared for his children."

"So what should I do?"

"We can handle this Honored Avatar. Our agents are pursuing the man. Last I checked, we have much bigger plans to prepare for, ones a lone Red Lotus terrorist cannot interfere in. He won't get near you again, I promise you that."

"O…of course."

* * *

"I see she's been bought up to speed Commander Rofu?"

"Yes, but you know that's not the only reason I'm here Han."

Han grimaced. "What's the other reason?"

"The Black Petals want to see you. You are to head to Shura immediately. Don't keep them waiting."

Han nodded. "I'll arrange for the flight, but I can't see it being too big a deal."

"Korra was hospitalized fighting a man who can bend four elements. This is A VERY BIG DEAL! The Avatar Army without the Avatar is a mere rebel army that the nations of the world will crush. Until all the pieces are in place, we can't move. And if we lose the Avatar, we lose our legitimacy to the world, ensuring that the Realignment will fail. The Realignment cannot fail. You above all should know this."

"I'll smooth it over."

"See that you do. We're almost ready, and no one's incompetence can halt the coming storm."

* * *

"It's all ready to go," Shing began as he looked on at Nasha, a particularly hardy sky bison who he had loaded with a suitcase full of clothes and some supplies. "Tong knows I'm coming, right?"

"He knows," Rohan answered. "So, you spoke with the fake Korra?"

"You seem pretty sure she's a fake, but yeah. She was very polite."

"And formal I bet. Cold, stern, all business."

"Y…how did you know?"

Rohan sighed. "Because the real Korra was never able to be formal with the Air Nation while she was alive. I still remember what happened when dad…well, Master Tenzin gave his life to save the city. She emerged from the tunnel, her head down. The others bowed their heads, but I….lashed out."

"You attacked the Avatar?"

"I put everything I had into a punch, which she caught effortlessly. I still remember; it was at that point I saw her face in the night sky, sobbing, even as she held my fist, declaring 'I can never repay with your father did. No one can.' It was at that point I realized why the rest of my family cared for her so. She was practically their sister."

"And after she was replaced, she didn't act the same."

"Nowhere near the same, although I will admit it's not like we saw her, since she was constantly being worked to the bone." Rohan confirmed. "But I had to keep my mouth quiet for years to avoid ending up like everyone else, or to avoid anything happening to Tong."

"He's not exactly keen on being the Avatar."

"I sense it's a combination of things, but you will guide him. Tong will realize his destiny, but he may need to be pushed towards it. It's part of why I'm sending you. Guide him. Help him. Don't let his rage consume him."

"You guys mention me?"

Both turned around to see Tong, with a suitcase he was all too happy to throw on Nasha's back. Despite the gravity of the situation, he did his best to act jovial.

"Let's go, we've got a festival to attend, don't we?"

"And some answers to find," Rohan added. Tong offered a smile.

"Take care old man!"

"You will bring me some fire flakes back, won't you?" Shing nodded at Rohan's question.

"Sure thing Grandpa!"

"It's Grandmaster to you as long as you're on this island!" He groaned as Nasha flew off into the sky, heading back towards the academy. It was almost time for lunch, and then some afternoon classes. Maybe putting some students through the paces would take his mind off the conspiracy surrounding the fake Korra.


	7. The Festival

The island of Shura was not what one would expect upon hearing of the presence of the world's most powerful leaders, men clad in shadow. It was actually a rather pleasant island in the easternmost corner of the Fire Nation, with a fairly lovely beach, ample vegetation, and a small community. On the other side of the island was a large, spacious mansion, overlooking its own section of said beach. It was in front of this building where Han stood, being greeted by a man in a formal black suit.

"Excellent Inquisitor. Please come inside. They are waiting for you by the fourth floor observation deck. I suggest we take the elevator."

If one were to say this was the home of the most powerful group on the planet, most would question where the legions of faceless troops, traps, and armored war machines were. Instead, the streets were filled with beachgoers on the island for holiday, cars, and the occasional rock-surfer.

The inside of the building was no less lavish than the outside. Large windows allowed ample light to flow into the rooms, although lamps hung overhead when it grew dark. In the living room, next to a flight of stairs was an elevator, one which led to the fourth floor. In keeping with the theme of openness, it was surrounded by glass, allowing its passengers to view the entirety of the building, even as it passed up to the fourth floor, separated from the first three by a roof.

The room that the elevator led to was vast, with high ceilings and a circular window by the roof, allowing for a perfect view of the sky. Below it, numerous screens and computers littered the walls, while at the center were four chairs, upon which sat four men, or more accurately, three men and a woman, masked in helmets that resembled a dragon, a fish, a badgermole, and a sky bison, while wearing black and blue robes; symbols of the original benders. Han immediately kneeled before them.

"Please Inquisitor. Have a seat."

Nodding, he did so in a leather chair facing the group, one of six, the four's gaze never relenting from him. The chair itself was comfortable enough, with a swiveling base allowing the seated person to face both in front of him and to the monitors on the side.

"You used Korra to lure out your target?"

"Target? You mean the Specialist?" Han answered.

"Let us not mince words," the man in the Dragon mask replied. "The true Avatar came to kill ours. You allowed a battle to happen in full view of the public and may I remind you, after reviewing the footage, Korra was losing until she enabled Hyper Mode. You know how…"

"With all due respect Dragon," Han answered, "I calculated the risks and wanted to use them to spring a trap. We were out of options. If we had done nothing and Korra had been killed or discovered, we would have been undone."

"Be that as it may," the man in the Sky Bison mask noted, "you took an unnecessary risk. One that on the eve of our plan's execution, this is bluntly put, unacceptable."

"Is it not enough that I have been doing everything to guide Korra to where she needs to be? I have ensured that no one is suspicious of our plans, least of all Korra." All four men laughed at this.

"You believe yourself the sole cog in the machine?" the woman in the badger mole mask began. Reaching for a microphone attached to her desk, she spoke "Zedong? Connect to Ju Ping."

Immediately, a large monitor on the side of the wall sprang to life, revealing a man with white hair and a blue suit. He saluted.

"How may I serve your Lordship?"

"Ping, what is the status of the mecha production?" the woman asked flatly.

"All goes according to schedule. We've finished the final tests of both the Smasher cannons and the Skull Knight mecha-tanks. Our production began yesterday. We hope to have a mechanized fighting force 100,000 strong by the time the Realignment is set to begin. Support vehicles are also being made in a separate factory to supplement our ground forces. "

"And the second program?"

"Also according to plan, but it won't be ready for another few months. It is still being tested."

"Excellent." Turning off the screen, the woman then spoke "Zedong? Put Shuren on the line." The screen then showed a man with fiery red hair and a military uniform. "How goes recruitment?"

"As planned your Lordships. Currently our forces number in the hundreds of thousands, although most are collected through splinter groups in the nations. We have gotten quite the large amount of solders from the Northern Water Tribe of all places, including deserters. "

"Benders or non?"

"60/40 in favor of non-Benders it would seem," Shuren answered.

"That's fine. Vehicles and weapons need people to use them after all. Dismissed." With the screen shut off, the masked woman turned to Han.

"You are an important cog in the machine, yes. But it is OUR machine. The wheels began turning before any of us were born. And your babysitting of the Avatar is just one of the thing we will need to make our plans a reality. You, like any singular cog, are replaceable."

"I understand my Lordships. Forgive me."

Finally, the man in the fish mask spoke. "You have not betrayed our trust, but you have tested it. See to it that the Specialist as you call him is caught and bought before us. "

"I have a taskforce scouring the nations for him. They've been split into groups looking for people he may contact." The man in the Sky Bison mask nodded.

"Then we have nothing to fear, do we, Badgermole?"

"No, but I want Han to stay. Put Rofu on the line."

Once again, the screen opened, this time with the familiar face of Commander Rofu. Dragon addressed him.

"Commander, you are on line with the rest of the commanders within White Lotus. Everyone should be made aware of your plan."

"Of course Honored Dragon," answered the bearded Water Tribesman. "My agents are currently preparing for their most ambitious undertaking to date, the hijacking of the Fire Nation 5th fleet, in particular their spirit reactor powered aircraft carrier _Shield of the Firelord._ With the 5th fleet under our control, we will have a naval force rivaling that of any nation on the planet, one that would take far long to build on our own. My agents are in Capital City making the final preparations, now that the fleet has docked for the Fall of the Phoenix festival."

Han knew what they were doing. The hope was to humble him with the sheer scale of the operation, to show how small a cog he was in the massive machine that was White Lotus. But they underestimated him. There may be a way to turn the machine to his control, to eventually rule White Lotus himself.

And with the Realignment, he who controlled White Lotus and the Avatar Army would rule the world.

* * *

"You can't get a view like this from a fancy jet I bet!"

As he chugged on a bottle of water, Tong looked down at the island they were set to land on, and had to concede, it was a nice view. Capital City bristled with skyscrapers near its center, while by the harbor, about a dozen ships, including an absolutely massive vessel with an airstrip on its deck, rested by what appeared to be a crowd of thousands.

"I think the food would be better," Tong joked, "but it is a great view. We can see just about the whole island from here."

"Lot of people," Shing observed. "Are you sure this was the best time to come and meet your contact?"

"Lot less suspicious this way to be honest," Tong answered. "Besides, he was apparently in town for some demonstration too. Let's land and have a look around." Nasha and her two passengers descended towards the island past the crowds and bustling roads towards a more scenic part of the capital, an animal preserve. After paying the owner a fare for lodging their sky bison, the pair prepared to head into town.

* * *

"The Fall of the Phoenix Festival was originally made to commemorate the end of the Hundred Years War, in particular the fall of the self-stylized Phoenix King Ozai and the appointment of Zuko as Firelord. While Firelord Zuko was far too humble to appoint his own holiday, his successor Izumi felt it correct to honor the end of war. The festival also coincides with the return of the fleet, which you can see to your right."

Underneath a baseball cap, watching the tour guide impart history to passer-bys, Shing scoffed. "No mention of the Air Nomad…"

"Hey hey hey!" Tong interrupted. "We're trying to not to stick out remember? No one's whitewashing anything. They're celebrating the end of war."

"You lived here as a teen right? What did your textbooks say about the Air Nation genocide?"

"Long story," was all Tong answered before turning back to the tour guide."

"The 5th Fleet of the Fire Nation is among the largest in the world, normally out at sea on various patrol missions and providing support in tandem with the United Republic. However, one week out of the year, the fleet journeys back to Capital City, so that sailors can meet with their families as well as partake in the festival."

"Isn't that sweet?" one woman in the crowd mused. The tour guide nodded.

The tour was just one of hundreds of various events occurring. Food vendors were on the streets, merchants were selling various items ranging from clothing to cell phone covers, and booths with demonstrations of technology and various events attracted passer-bys. Looking at his phone, Tong began walking towards a sizeable gathering in a makeshift outdoor arena, the bright sunlight illuminating the fighting ring surrounded by the crowd.

"Why here?"

"Mr. Maeda apparently is attending this sporting event. He said he'd meet us afterward so we can blend in with the crowd." With that noted, the pair soon found themselves seated in the third row, the elevated seating providing a rather good view of the ring.

To Shing's annoyance, Tong did so while eating komodo sausage buns.

"Do you have to eat that in front of me?" he asked, even as he took a seat in the back rows.

"Hey," Tong answered between bites, "I'm not the vegetarian. You can have one if you want."

"Jerk." Tong's response was to hand Shing a bag of fire flakes, which he nodded in appreciation for. The pair, along with the rest of the sizable crowd, looked at the announcer in the middle of the ring, microphone at the ready.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to the debut of the newest fighting art to take the Fire Nation by storm in our All-Combat Arts Show! This is being filmed live for historians to see the next step in the art of Fire Bending! I bring to you, the Fire Blades!"

Five men, or more accurately four men and one woman emerged from a waiting area and stepped into the ring, clad in the safety equipment of a pro bender, minus the helmets, colored in a vibrant red and orange scheme. All five athletes held a small piece of wood, which immediately burst into flame, giving the illusion that they were holding swords of fire. The crowd embraced it without hesitation.

"That's not possible."

"What isn't?" Shing asked between bites of Fire Flakes.

"One of the men that tried to capture me had a fire sword…thing like that. I think there might be a connection."

"But there's no sense in my boasting about this team unless they can back it up!" the announcer continued. "Against the Fire Blades are master benders from the four corners of the globe! They were square off with the Fire Blades in a 5 on 5 team competition, 1 on 1 fights decided by knockout or submission!"

Approaching the ring to face off with the five were five other benders, easily recognized by their stereotypical outfits. Shing immediately grimaced at the man in the robes of an Air Nomad, complete with tattoos.

"Something seems off about that guy."

"He could be from another temple," Tong reasoned, having a drink that a nearby vendor offered.

"I guess."

"First up will be 'Jade Sword' Sakuraba of the Fire Blades against the Dazzling Water Master Nyeto!"

Both combatants entered the ring, Sakuraba, a tall, moderately build man and Nyeto, a shorter, stouter man who seemed to have a bit of a belly poking from his Water Tribe robes. They two stared each other down as a referee gave instructions. By the ring was a table with two announcers, their words inaudible to the live audience. However, everyone heard the referee's announcement of "Hajime!" as the two fighters rushed forward. Immediately the crowd cheered, even as Nyeto went on the offensive, swinging water from his arm like a whip at Sakuraba. His opponent opened up by slashing at Nyeto, causing streams of fire to emerge even at a distance. The water bender had difficulty defending against the attack as his opponent closed the distance.

"He's not very good," Shing noted. Tong nodded.

"I guess it's a showcase. They didn't want to bring in anyone too talented."

The words rang true when Sakuraba drew in close and slashed at Nyeto's hand. The whip he had made collapsed into a puddle as he was taken down, Sakuraba's fire sword pointed directly at his throat. Immediately the "Dazzling Water Master" tapped the ground, signifying his submission. The crowd cheered the hometown victory as the pair were broken up, the referee raising Sakuraba's hand.

"Not very talented," was all Tong would say.

"A stunning display of the speed and skill of a Fire Blade, wouldn't you say?" the announcer asked, causing the crowd to cheer in the affirmative. "Our second match of the day will be Dancing Flame Funaki vs. Stone Snake Hailong!"

Hailong, a man in traditional Earth bender garments, entered the ring. To intimidate his opponent, he began to perform a long series of movements, only for a tiny pebble to float by. The crowd was stunned into silence.

"…What?"

Tong looked in disbelief. That dance didn't mean anything, and if all he can Earth bend is a measly pebble, he was in big trouble.

The fight lasted all of 30 seconds. Pebble dancer tried to hurl rocks at his opponent, only for them to be cut to shreds or deflected by the heat shield that the sword created. Soon his opponent was upon him and mercifully slashed him in the chest, causing him to fall in agony, ending the contest. Luckily for the Earth bender, it was a relatively shallow cut, blunted by protective equipment worn underneath his clothing.

"That wasn't an Earth bender! That was just some clown they got off the street to make their art look good!" Tong complained.

"Oh, it's no big deal. The crowd seems to like it." Sure enough, the crowd cheered as the announcer returned to the ring to introduce the next contest.

"Next up we have Master Air Bender Awng vs. Shining Swallow Takada!"

"Did he say Aang?" Shing asked.

"No," Tong answered. "He said A-wong. Totally different."

Awng, as he was called, entered the ring, and performed an Air Bender kata with all the grace of a pregnant platypus bear. His staff was swung awkwardly as his opponent entered the ring.

"What the hell is that?!" Shing screamed in disbelief. Like the Earth bender before him, the man dressed in Air Bender robes was a total amateur. To Shing's utter indignation, the man even had the tattoos of a master Air bender on his head. So when he was felled by a swipe and takedown from Takada, Shing made sure to make his feelings known.

"BOOO! THAT WASN'T A REAL AIRBENDER! TAKADA'S A BUM! PUT HIM IN WITH A REAL AIR BENDER!'

"What are you doing?" Tong asked in disbelief, but it was too late. Shing continued to boo as the crowd stared on at him. It was after his fifth calling of Takada a bum that a fairly large man appeared in front of him.

"A real Air Bender huh? Like you?!"

"Ehehehe, what I meant was…"

The crowd would have none of it, pushing Shing towards the ring until finally he was inside of it. A random official threw him a staff, even as the large man from before came into the ring.

* * *

"You didn't have to bring me here. This is very elaborate for an interview."

"Oh it's nothing at all Miss Kushina. Your father is well known as a connoisseur of the martial arts, and I thought this was a good way for you to see myself and some of the group outside of the office setting."

"Well it is fun so far," she admitted. The conversation was interrupted as the crowd through a heckler into the ring. His hat fell off and Kushina recognized the man instantly, causing her to groan.

"Is everything all right?"

"Just fine," Kushina answered, while secretly swearing to kill Shing and Tong the next time she saw them.

* * *

"Is this legal?!" Shing asked. The man nodded.

"You insulted our team," the man began. "I may just be a student, but this is a matter of honor! Everyone knows Air Benders are" **CRACK**

A mighty blow from Shing's staff to the student took him by surprise and laid him flat out on the ring floor. The crowd looked on stunned until a man entered the ring, his black hair and pale skin, wearing the armor of the Fire Blades.

"Not bad, kid. Maybe you'll give me more competition than that 'Master Air Bender."

"That was no master, Mr. Takada. That was just some bum picked off the street." Shing said this even as he got into a defensive stance, waiting with his staff.

"What's your name kid?"

"I'm an Air Nomad. And Shing is my name."

"Then Shing, let's see if you can back up those words."

As his fire sword was drawn, Takada began to inch towards Shing, searching for the proper distance to strike. Shing meanwhile, raised his staff, prepared to attack. Surprisingly enough, it was Shing who made the first move, charging forward with several thrusts attempting to keep his opponent at bay. Takada meanwhile did his best to dodge and block, all the while swinging his sword at the staff, attempting to turn it into kindling. This continued for a minute of dodging and feinting till Shing found his opening, sweeping his opponent with his staff and then landing a blow to his exposed chest. In obvious pain but still conscious, Takada rolled out of the way, keeping his sword ready.

"OK, you lasted longer than the other guy. But you won't beat me!"

In one quick motion, Takada leapt forward, slicing the staff in two and forcing Shing to move out of the way, taking a defensive stance. His opponent smirked.

"You're unarmed. Give up."

"No true bender is ever unarmed," Shing answered, focusing on his hand. He was only going to get one shot at this, and once he connected, he still had to execute the second part of his plan.

Immediately, however, Takada ran forward. Shing dodged the first swipe, only for Takada to look up and see what Shing was holding in his hand, a ball of air, or rather, a ball of wind, cracking him with a significant amount of force, but not enough to knock the Fire Blade member down. Immediately, Shing dashed forward, tackling his opponent's legs and taking him down to a mounted position, where Takada's raised arm fell prey to an armlock. There was a slight scream followed by the traditional tap to signify submission. The crowd meanwhile, was stunned silent.

Breathing heavily as he released the hold from his defeated opponent, Shing looked up at the crowd, anticipating their response.

" **BOOOOOOOOO!"**

Boos rained down from the rafters, along with cups and discarded plates. Before anything further could happen, a man emerged from the back to address the audience.

"Hey! You can't just boo the victor because he beat the hometown fighter! He was challenged and answered the call admirably! Not to mention, Fire Blade as an art will never improve unless it is challenged! This festival wouldn't even be happening if it wasn't for a brave Air Bender that helped out Firelord all those centuries ago. So I say this man isn't worthy of scorn, but is worthy of praise!"

The brief speech was enough to convince the crowd not to boo Shing, and soon polite clapping and cheering followed. For his part, the Air Bender was relieved.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it kid. I sponsor the Fire Blades. I won't let them look like thugs or bullies. You know, you might have a future in pro fighting. We should talk."

As the pair left the ring, Shing answered the sudden job offer. "I'm actually here with a friend of mine to meet a Mr. Maeda."

"You're speaking to him. I'm actually supposed to meet someone after this. How about we talk in a bit?"

The rest of the event was nowhere near as dramatic as Shing's fight, with the Fire Blades winning a clear 5-1 to victory over their challengers that day. Soon, Maeda and Shing went up to meet Tong, who looked on at the pair.

"You could have helped me!" Shing shouted in protest.

"I thought you did just fine."

"He did splendidly all things considered. I am Maeda. The man next to me is Funaki, one of my top students. I trust you were impressed?"

"Tong. And yes, I was."

"Good, then let's head back to my dojo. We have much to discuss, and I trust much of it isn't what you want heard in an open arena."

The duo nodded, following their guide to his dojo. They were unaware of just how deeply Funaki stared at them. Or that a rather furious woman was following them, ready to give them a piece of her mind.


	8. Taming of the Spirits

In comparison to the festive mood outside, the inside of the Maeda dojo was quiet. Halls that would normally be full of students were empty, and the building itself was silent. It was a perfect place for Tong to discuss matters with Maeda.

"I started Fire Blade when I was younger, since I felt that Fire bending wasn't evolving in the same way as the other bending arts. Metal bending, Ice bending, Wind Razor, all of these arts came from their base element in ways that their masters wouldn't dream of using. Meanwhile your average Fire bender essentially just has a flame thrower and if skilled, a Shocker at their disposal. The great skill of the Fire Nation in war was using Fire Bending to invent, to build, to create. But as an art, its evolution lags."

"So you created, a fire sword?" Shing asked.

"It's much more than that," Maeda answered. "By focusing the heat in a blade, they can use it more creatively, to launch fire, but to use heat as a defensive mechanism. A true master of Fire Blade can attack and defend seamlessly. Funaki?"

The student bowed, then stood up and drew his flaming sword. Reaching into a bag nearby a storage closet, Maeda threw several stones at his pupil. The man reacted immediately, slashing two, while one seemed to be repelled by a field surrounding the swordsman.

"Unfortunately, the shield is far from implacable. It redirects using heat, not stops."

Both nodded at the demonstration while Funaki sat back down. Maeda continued as his two guests observed him closely.

"How did you get my name in the first place, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My late father," Tong began, "left a list of names to contact. You were among them." Obviously it made sense to leave out how a man dressed as Amon was torturing people for information.

"I see. Yes, I was an associate of your father. You see, we knew…"

Both Tong and Shing stared at the man wide-eyed. They knew Tong's secret?

"…that Avatar Korra is secretly building an army under the guise of her authority as the Avatar."

"We've seen some of their products up close," Shing answered, hoping to dispel any awkwardness. Maeda nodded.

"I'm aware of the machines of war they're building. But until I have concrete evidence, I can't exactly make it public. Till then I can train Fire Nation citizens and try to hunt for the truth."

"Which is why we're here," Tong answered. "Do you know who would have wanted my dad dead? Who in White Lotus was responsible?" Maeda eyed him very sternly.

"That depends. Do you want to know who killed your father with their hands, or who's trying to build an army to start a world war by using the Avatar as a puppet? What's more important to you, vengeance, or saving the world?"

The room grew silent before Tong asked, "Is this a trick question?"

"No trick. But come, there's still plenty to enjoy here! Tonight there's going to be a massive fireworks display, and then tomorrow I can bring you some actual paperwork. Just relax for right now. We're all on the same side, after all."

* * *

The trio had went out to explore more of the city, presumably while discussing sensitive matters. Funaki knew this. Still, no one suspected his ulterior motive when he told people he needed to stay and look at his email for an hour or so.

 _Control,_

 _Please give me the pictures of Target 01, 02, and 03. We may have a problem._

A response soon appeared in his inbox, with three distinct pictures. The woman wasn't present, but the two men were instantly recognized as the Air bender who made a scene during the competition, and the Earth bender asking about his dead father.

 _Control,_

 _The Specialist is here. Target 01 and 02 are present, and Mr. Maeda seems sympathetic to their plight…and suspicious of us. However, everything is in place, so rather than dealing with him, he can die in the ensuing riot. He'll be so busy dealing with my little surprise that even if he is aware of my plans, he will be far too late to stop them._

A message replied back in a mere minute.

 _Do you what you will, but DO NOT FAIL ME._

* * *

Kushina had been ready to follow Tong to yell her brains out at the Not-Avatar over following her, but she had seen something far more attention grabbing.

It was in fact, a box laid down by a man who was joining a crowd. Dressed in all black, the box was white with numerous markings surrounding it. Unsure of what he had planned, she followed the man to a small storefront. Once there, she looked on at the group, doing her best to stay hidden from the crowd.

"Gentlemen, the time has come to dispose of this false line of leadership. Our 'surprises' have all been left. They will be fierce and rabid."

"Surprise?" someone asked. "We were never told what kind of surprise could lay waste to an entire city, or hold off the Fire Nation military."

"Fine. Our benefactor has provided us with contraptions that capture the essence of spirits. The boxes we've been spreading across the city contain dark spirits, angry, rabid and powerful. They will cause chaos, overwhelm the locals, and force the military to take action. When the skeleton crew of the carrier is forced to send out its personnel to battle a threat of spirits, including a very large leader spirit, we will make our move."

"Once that happens, Group A will mine half the ships while we meet up with the sympathizers in the second half. We will have control of the _Shield_ and enough firepower to make the Fire Nation BOW to our demands, to ensure a restoral of the Fire Nation as a true superpower!"

"IN THE NAME OF OZAI, HAIL THE PHEONIX KING!"

She gasped. Luckily no one heard. The group quickly left the building, heading for small boats. She followed, unaware of their "surprise." She was more interested in the boats and where they were going. Hiding behind a small hut by the beach, she saw what a group was planning.

A group of four men revealed their boat, a rather small motorboat that would slip by the massive fleet with ease. With dozens of these, going past ships with skeleton crews due to the festival, it would be easy for them to board.

"Hey, who's there?"

They had found her out. Breathing, she revealed herself.

"Hold the gun tightly with two hands," she whispered.

"Who are you?"

 **BANG BANG BANG BANG!**

The fireworks masked the sound of her pistol firing. It was cold, and it was cruel, but it was either her, or them. As far as Kushina was concerned, it was self-defense. But she took no pleasure in it.

Still, they had weapons, a map indicating where they were going and uniforms. Chewing out Tong could wait. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't let them do this.

"He's rubbing off on me," was all she could think as she put on the uniform of the New Ozai society, hiding the bodies behind the hut, and starting up the boat.

* * *

Fireworks lit up the night sky, as crowds looked on at the docks. Even those in the city saw bits of the display, at least those that weren't covered by the skyscrapers. Tong and Shing were but two of thousands viewing the show, waiting for the next set of explosives to burst in the air. It truly was quite the sight to behold.

"Makes you forget about all the craziness, doesn't it?"

"Maybe."

The crowd by the docks oohed and ahhed at the various shapes in the night sky, all of varying scale and color. They continued to observe until without warning, a massive flash occurred by the fireworks.

"What was that?"

"So bright!"

Similar flashes were found all over the city, even where there were no fireworks to be found. When the light vanished, people gasped in terror. Black apparitions, all in various shapes and sizes began charging at people.

"HELP!"

Screams of terror were heard as the dark spirits charged the crowds, only for two to be blasted into nothingness by patrolling Fire Nation officers. But twenty additional dark spirits soon replaced those two; while in the skies and the ground, more appeared everywhere. Panic spread even as the police and soldiers did their best to fight off the invaders.

"What the hell's going on?" Tong asked, right as he was accosted by a spirit resembling a feral jaguar. His hands touched the dark spirit, and for a moment, he understood. Right before a gust of wind knocked the beast away.

"Pain."

"Pain? Tong, what are you talking about?"

"They're in pain. All of these spirits are. Something drove them to this. They're not being malicious because they want to."

"Your friend talks to spirits?" Maeda asked. Shing nodded.

"He is…"

"A spirit speaker," Tong finished, making quite sure Shing didn't say "The Avatar". "They are all in pain. Driven mad by other spirit speakers. Turned loose like rabid beasts."

"How many?"

"Hundreds, maybe a thousand. I don't know. We have to calm them. We have to find their leader. These spirits don't deserve destruction any more than the civilians deserve death. We have to end this before it gets really bad."

Looking on at the mayhem encroaching the city, none of the trio had any idea how to do so. A pair ape-like spirits were among them, one smashing a car as another began stalking towards the trio."

"You two go," Maeda announced. "I'll deal with these things."

"Are you crazy?" Tong asked. "I need you alive!"

"I may be a businessman these days," Maeda answered as he drew a piece of wood from his jacket, "but I'm not exactly rusty."

The pair nodded and ran off as a fire blade formed inside the old master's hand, as he invited the creatures in with a gesture from his free hand.

"You two have no idea who you're dealing with. Come on!"

* * *

"Firelord Kaede, we need a decision now."

"Our first priority," the Firelord declared as she looked on at the various screens in the palace bunker, "is to ensure that the civilians are evacuated safely. What are our options to counterattack?"

"Usually the enemy doesn't just spontaneously appear in the middle of Capital City," a man in a uniform answered, "but while the 5th fleet is operating at reduced capacity due to the holiday, there are still two ships with mecha tank and fire bender battalions on standby, and the wing on the _Shield_ is ready for deployment.

"Isn't this a matter for the Avatar? We shouldn't attack spirits with a military response!"

"At let innocent people die? Get our men on the island immediately!" the Firelord ordered. "The Fire Nation does not bow to any enemy, human or spirit. Have command in the palace direct operations."

* * *

The boats headed towards the carrier were numerous but small. The one Kushina piloted alone was but a speck alongside the massive naval vessels. As she looked up, she saw jets flying towards the island, buzzing in the air, while other ships sailed away from the carrier and towards Capital City.

"The spirits," she mused aloud. "They've taken the bait!" Hurriedly, she followed the boats towards their true target, the absolutely massive carrier. As the men began to board with grappling hooks, claws digging into the hull, and other tools, she followed intently, hoping to get to the bottom of their sinister plan. Perhaps more of Tong's desire to help people was rubbing off on her than she cared to admit.

* * *

A couple and their child ran for safety while being pursued by a legion of angry spirits. Unfortunately, in the midst of the chaos, they soon found themselves surrounded, ready to be ripped to pieces.

"Please, don't hur…AH!" The mother's pleas for the safety of her son fell on deaf ears as she was slapped aside; the spirits ready to strike the family dead.

 **CRACK!**

At the last second however, the sound of Shocker cannons and fire being bent was heard, as the spirits were sent scrambling. Two large humanoid machines, red in color, stood in front of the family. Their stylized heads, resembling old Fire Nation war helmets, clashed with the concerned, almost desperate voices of the pilots.

"Get out of here! All civilians are to evacuate to the nearest designated shelter! We have soldiers ready to escort you!"

The family, after blurting out a few "Thank you"'s, ran to where two soldiers were waiting. With the family safe, the pilots turned their attention to the infuriated spirits, charging the machines. Flame and powerful electric bolts awaited them.

"This is getting ridiculous," one of the pilots muttered. "There's a whole army of them!"

"Well we can't let them destroy the city! Let's move!"

As this was said, two cars of all things attempted to ram the vehicles. An errant soldier viewed this and blasted the cars with fire bending, revealing spirits emerging from them. They too were destroyed.

"We need to keep it up until every spirit is destroyed! Let's move!" The two machines sped through the city streets, joining up with a battalion of red mecha tanks as they fired at a legion of dark spirits.

"Let them have it!"

Shocker cannons drove the creatures back even as more descended from their air. Men and machine were swarmed but stood their ground as civilians were evacuated inside buildings.

"Where the hell did all things come from?" a soldier asked even as he kicked a massive spider spirit square in the face. Unfortunately for him, the only answer he got was its web trapping him and several of his compatriots against a building wall. The spider descended towards them, when a new squadron of mecha tanks drove towards the creature, firing and ripping it apart. Combined with support from helicopters that swarmed in, the dark spirits retreated into the city.

"It doesn't matter where they came from," a soldier holding a rifle answered. "What matters is we send these freaks back where they came!"

"YEAH!"

Cheers rang out as the groups pursued the enemy, cannon fire and fire bending soon following their engagements.

* * *

The battle between human and spirit was fought on the ground, and in the air. Jet aircraft flew against legions of dark spirits in the guise of eagles and dragons attempting to rain fire on the city, many destroyed by precision guided missiles, some falling to black flame and the corruption that spirits could inflict upon technology.

On the ground, mecha tanks and fire benders continued to drive the spirits back, even as inhuman monstrosities clawed and burned at the human military. Explosions could be seen and felt for miles. As Tong and Shing looked at the chaos from their gliders, they continued to look for what, if anything could be leading the dark spirits.

"So much pain, they don't know what they're doing," Tong remarked. "They just see humans and think that they're the enemy. Most of them can barely think straight."

"So if we find the leader, we can calm them?" Shing asked.

"Hopefully."

Near the main city, they saw something that fit the bill.

A massive spirit, humanoid in shape, covered in metal armor formed from destroyed vehicles and buildings, began marching towards the Firelord's palace. Its face was a still mask with a look of pure rage. Two jets attacked it from overhead, causing the being to respond with a powerful surge of energy from its eyes, which annihilated the aircraft. Ground forces fired relentlessly, stunning the giant, but it soon responded by drawing a gigantic sword and striking the men and machines on the ground. The tiny blades that the Sun Fang mecha tanks carried were nothing compared to the sword the size of a three-story building.

"HUMANS! YOU BANISHED ME ONCE BEFORE AND NOW YOU BRING ME TO WAGE WAR? I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS INSOLENCE; ALL WHO WOULD MAKE WAR AGAINST THE SPIRITS! SO SWEARS GENERAL OLD IRON!"

"That's the leader," Tong declared, heading right towards the dark spirit.

* * *

The bunker was a flurry of activity as men and women barked out orders to troops in the field, while others relayed messages to members of the command team.

"Armored bull turtles? Get the anti-armor helicopters there immediately!"

"Drive them into the isolated areas!"

"Unit 1, meet up with Unit 6 and continue pursuit of the enemy!"

While the type of invader was unprecedented, the methods remained the same. And in the building itself, there was not a single sense of panic. Just a deep desire to perform their duty, for the sake of everyone in the city. However, as the Firelord looked on at the monitors, one advisor broke that air of calm, worriedly relaying news.

"Most of the civilians have been evacuated Honored Firelord, but we have a new problem," one of the officers in the bunker announced. Pointing towards a screen, the image of a massive humanoid spirit clad in metal armor began heading towards the palace. The Firelord however, was unafraid.

"Their leader," the Firelord responded. "Have all troops form a perimeter around the palace and when it's in range, annihilate it. Understood?"

"Honored Firelord, someone's in front of that monstrosity. It's a civilian!"

"What?!"

* * *

One human. One human stood in front of a dark spirit that stood as tall as the buildings that covered Capital City. Although the mask it wore had no expression, it looked on in disdain.

"ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE HUMAN?"

"General Old Iron, is it? We never met, in this life, but stories of you still persist."

"YOU…" the spirit began with the clear sound of disdain in its voice, "YOU AND I FOUGHT…IN A PAST LIFE. BEFORE THE HUMANS BROUGHT ME TO WAGE THEIR WARS."

"Then you remember," Tong answered, "that I beat you before."


	9. Night of the Dark Spirits

Men, women and children were all huddled inside the basement of the building for protection even as the battle continued to rage outside. Soldiers acted as security, organizing new groups that entered the makeshift shelter, handing out water bottles and food to those who needed them, and in general maintaining order. Luckily, there were no obvious signs of danger among the people, who were content to try and sit on chairs and relax, or speak with friends and family. Most were just thankful to be alive. A few however, were clearly more distressed than others.

"Dark spirits are indestructible!" a middle aged man with frazzled hair shouted towards a young child, only 8 years old, even as her two parents stared at him. "You get it little girl? We're all going to die!"

"Can you do that somewhere…"

"SHUT UP YOU IGNORANT COW!" the man yelled at the child's mother, even as the others in the basement looked on at the scene. "This is our punishment for disrespecting the spirits! They can't be stopped and now we're all hobbled like cattle waiting for the slaughter!"

"That's quite enough," a older man replied from behind the panicked heckler. "The spirits CAN be stopped. Decisively."

"What makes you so sure?" he said, turning around to face the person interrupting him.

"Because I killed two of them to make it here. They're not indestructible, and I'm sure that the Fire Nation military has the issue well in hand. So instead of panicking like a petulant child and scaring everyone else, go do something useful, like lying down for a few hours until this passes."

"We can't oppose the OWWWW!"

The man soon found himself in an incredibly painful armlock, even as the soldiers moved in towards the scene.

"Spirits are not omnipotent. I think the battle outside is proving that quite decisively."

"Is everything alright?"

The man let the panicked heckler go as he stood up and looked at the two guards. "Just fine, officers."

"Then don't start fights. And you," one soldier added, staring at the heckler, "keep your mouth shut if all you're going to do is try to scare people."

Maeda sighed, sitting down and breathing deeply. He could only hope his two new friends were able to diffuse the situation before more people got hurt.

* * *

The screens all showed the same scene being replayed throughout all of capital city. Fierce fighting, losses on both sides, but the Fire Nation forces rallying and routing the enemy spirits, forcing their remaining numbers to retreat deeper and deeper into the city. Even as cheering and increased optimism filled the command bunker, the Firelord stood firm.

"You've noticed it too, haven't you Firelord?" asked an officer to the middle aged woman looking on at the information in front of her with powerful intent.

"You mean that the big spirit hasn't attacked the palace yet because of that one human, or that the spirits simply sent too small a force to take the city?"

"Both Madame Firelord," the advisor replied. "The enemy is retreating into the city and our forces are in pursuit. We are unsure if they are attempting to flee the island or regroup for a counterattack. In either event, the force sent was too small to take the island, despite the damage they inflicted."

"Then we should make them pay for that mistake, and keep them from doing it again, shouldn't we?"

"I believe a conservative approach is in order Firelord Kaede."

The Firelord nodded. "Agreed. Secure the civilian shelters but don't let them out until we have confirmed the invaders are off the island. In the interim, have our helicopters pursue the enemy while concentrating our forces around the palace. This isn't over, not just yet."

"You remember, don't you?" Tong asked. "The angry spirit that chose to attack humans…"

"BECAUSE THEY BROKE THEIR PROMISE…"

Looking up at the giant armored spirit, Tong sighed. He knew that cannons and helicopters were ready to annihilate this spirit if he got any closer. But too many; both human and spirit, died today. It had to end now.

"And was defeated by the Avatar. You swore that you would never raise your sword against humans again."

"I DID NOT CHOOSE TO LEAD SPIRITS INTO BATTLE. IT WAS HUMANS THAT CAPTURED ME, TORTURED ME, AND DEMANDED THIS. IF HUMANS DESIRE WAR, THEN I WILL WAGE IT UPON THEM ALL."

"And then everyone suffers for it," Tong answered. "Can we discuss this reasonably?"

"REASONABLE?!" the furious spirit asked as he raised his sword. "HUMANS MUST DIE!"

In a burst of pure anger, Tong shouted "INNOCENTS WILL NOT DIE!" as a massive pillar of stone emerged from the streets, striking the general in the chest. He staggered, but did not fall.

* * *

"He's insane," a man began in the bunker, looking on at what appeared to be a lone Earth bender challenging the massive spirit.

"He's trying to stop that thing," an officer answered. "If he does, lovely. If he doesn't, well, we were planning to annihilate that thing anyway. Let's see how this plays out. Last thing we want to do is interrupt him if it is working and ruin everything."

* * *

"The one thing you haven't mentioned yet," one of the masked men began, "is how you plan to incapacitate a ship the size of a small village."

"That's easy enough," one man replied, the black stripes on his red uniform distinguishing him from the rest of the group. "The same way that we turned Capital City into a warzone."

Groups of men waited on the deck of the carrier they had just boarded, with some approaching air ducts, but all out of sight of the crew by the launch deck. With little care, they presented silver boxes into the ducts, pressing buttons on each.

"Dark spirits will enter the ducts and attack humans on sight. In the midst of that chaos, we seize the bridge. Once there, we can control it via this," he continued, pointing towards a silver and black machine with numerous ports for cables and other hookups on it.

"What's that?"

"A computer link. It will hook up the systems to an offshore computer that will control most of the systems, reliving us of handling most of the work. Now, while our friends are distracted, let's head for the bridge."

"What about the spirits?"

"That's the best part. When they're done with the crew; they'll turn and rip each other apart. It's garbage that disposes of itself!"

The men began heading for the main control room on the bridge, all except one masked soldier who headed in the opposite direction. Luckily for her, no one saw the woman head for the lower deck in search of a communication panel, or saw her remove her mask, revealing a black haired woman of average height heading through the halls of the carrier. As she ran looking for some way to warn the city of how they've been tricked, the sounds of fire bending, lightning bending, and Shocker fire could be heard, mixed in with the screams of men and women. Kushina had to hurry.

Several minutes later, she found a lone console from which to signal the mainland. All she had to do was send out a message to the city, to let them know that they've been tricked. And she would have done so immediately, had the inhuman roar of dark spirits not echoed through the hallway. It was guarded.

Looking ahead, she saw the creatures, merciless, and angry, approaching. Fear gripped her, a fear of the realization of exactly what she was doing. She ran for cover. Clutching the small automatic Shocker that was left on the boat, she ran through the halls. Hoping to escape her pursuers, or at the very least, think clearly about the sheer gravity of the situation she had placed herself in.

* * *

"I want to negotiate," Tong continued even as the giant form of Old Iron looked down upon him. "I want to help free the spirits of whatever is forcing you to attack humans."

"IF THE SPIRITS DO NOT ATTACK HUMANS, THEY WILL TEAR EACH OTHER APART," Old Iron began. "ALL I CAN DO IS DIRECT THEM, NOT STOP THEM."

"Then what can I do to free them?" Tong asked. The spirit was dismissive of his overtures.

"WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?"

"Because," he answered, "As it stands your forces are being routed by the humans you hate so much. You can feel it, can't you?"

"WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO? I WILL NOT LET HUMANS DESTROY MY KIN OR USE THEM AS TOOLS."

"I want to negotiate. How about we go somewhere where we can?" After a few moments of silence, Old Iron responded.

"VERY WELL HUMAN."

* * *

"The invaders have been pushed by the northwest portion of the city. Our forces are in pursuit, but they have not attacked." The monitors in the bunker, before showing dozens of smaller battles waged across the city, now focused on two things, the spirits waiting for…something, and the massive armored spirit speaking with the civilian. That was until that spirit vanished.

"Vanished?" a commander asked.

"Yeah, look! There's nothing left but empty makeshift armor! And the civilian is unconscious!" Sure enough, the Earth bender was lying on the ground in front of a pile of metal hastily shaped into the form of armor.

"Get someone out there to retrieve that man! I need to know what's going on!"

* * *

"Where are we?"

"THE SPIRIT WORLD."

As he looked around, Tong realized he was correct. General Old Iron appeared, not in the makeshift armor from destroyed vehicles and buildings, but in what was likely his original armor, standing in front of a beautiful waterfall by a large lake, with meadows surrounding the side they were on. Despite the scenic beauty of the location, he remained uneasy.

"I don't really think I should be…"

"WE WILL SPEAK HERE," the spirit responded, "OR NOT AT ALL. I WILL KEEP THE SPIRITS FROM ATTACKING YOUR HUMANS AS LONG AS I CAN, BUT LEAVE AND I WILL LET THEM TEAR THEM APART, YOUNG AND OLD." Emphasizing his point, Old Iron placed his sword in the ground, staring at Tong.

So far there was no sign of…him. Maybe he could do this.

"What corruption plagues your spirits? Why do this?"

"I HAD BEEN CONTENT TO REST HERE," Old Iron began, "AFTER THE AVATAR CALLED AANG HAD VANQUISHED ME. TO REST IN PEACE AWAY FROM HUMANS. UNTIL THAT FATEFUL DAY."

Images began to form inside the waterfall, as if the spirit was projecting his memories. They were machines, tying someone up. Men performing strange rituals. It was then he realized who did this.

"White Lotus."

"FREE MY KIN OF THE CORRUPTION THAT HUMANS HAVE PUT INTO THEM,"

"Those humans are my enemy as well," Tong answered, "the same way not all humans seek war with spirits."

"CAN YOU FREE THEM OF THE CORRUPTION? DO NOT TEST MY PATiENCE."

"Not alone," Tong confessed, "but I believe I can do it with help. I can speak with sprits. I have never been taught how to purify them."

"THEN WHAT USE ARE YOU TO ME?" Old Iron bellowed. Before he could grab his sword, Tong continued.

"There are people on that island who can! It's a taught skill, and I may not know it, but I can organize those who do!"

As Old Iron thought his proposal over, another voice echoed. **"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NEVER TO RETURN HERE!"**

In front of Tong stood the being who hated him so. He appeared the same as ever, a shadowy silhouette that radiated pure menace, the outline of his armor clear. Tong knew this was inevitable as he raised his hands. "I'm trying to help…"

" **YOU WILL DIE!"**

"NO HE WILL NOT!"

The being found himself struck not by Tong, but by Old Iron's sword, who lifted it as he stood in front of the human he was speaking with.

"I CARE NOT FOR YOUR QUARREL WITH THIS HUMAN. HE IS THE ONLY CHANCE I HAVE OF SAVING OTHER SPIRITS FROM THE CORRUPTION WHICH PLAGUES THEM."

" **HE IS PART OF A LINE THAT...** "

"HE IS WILLING TO HELP ME, FOOL," Old Iron retorted. "LEAVE THIS PLACE, NOW! OR FACE MY SWORD!"

The being paid no mind to Old Iron's warnings, as he charged towards Tong. The Earth Republic man answered in kind, as both struck each other with punches at the same time. Before they could resume their battle, the sword of Old Iron struck, sending the being flying.

" **G…GUH."**

"I WILL NOT WARN YOU AGAIN. LEAVE NOW!"

" **I AM THE** **HARBINGER OF TRUTH. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE…AVAT…"**

"Don't," was all Tong said before the being faded away into nothingness, presumably to strike another day. But his tormentor, he could be hurt. He can be stopped.

"LET US MAKE HASTE," Old Iron interrupted. "WE HAVE LITTLE TIME. FREE MY KIN OF THE CORRUPTION INFLICTED UPON THEM, AND I WILL RETURN TO MY REST. WE CANNOT OTHERWISE."

* * *

 _He's coming to! Hey buddy! Buddy!"_

As he looked up, the scenic paradise of the Spirit World was gone, replaced with the war zone that was the city, and a man in a Fire Nation uniform looking right at him. Tong did his best to stand up as he looked on at the man.

"I need to get spirit purifiers."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the soldier asked bewildered.

"Those spirits, they've been corrupted. They can be purified. They don't need to be wiped out."

"Uh, buddy, they attacked US," the soldier replied. "And why were you talking with that big guy? Where…"

"He's back!" another soldier yelled as the armor rose again, with Old Iron occupying it. The soldiers prepared to send fire at the spirit until Tong stood in front of them.

"Hold you fire! I know how to end this without more bloodshed!"

"How do you suggest that genius?"

"Put me on with whoever's in charge, I can explain everything. I'm not crazy! He's not attacking you yet, right?"

"Firelord Kaede, that civilian wants to speak with a commanding officer. He claims the spirits were corrupted and he knows how to purify them."

"Does he now? Put him on with me." A man handed the Firelord a microphone hooked up to a console, as she spoke into it.

"Young man, I am Kaede, the current Firelord and monarch of the Fire Nation. I understand that you know what's driven those spirits rabid and know how to purify them. Fair warning, if you're wasting my time, I will have my men burn you to ash on the spot. Understood? Now, what do we need to do?"

* * *

Kushina was terrified, even as the two spirits went through the corridors in search of their prey. This wasn't why she was here. She was supposed to be here for a job interview! Her experience with firearms outside of a mecha tank was about two weeks worth of lessons! Good lessons admittedly, and she had been practicing, but that wasn't enough time to make anyone an expert marksman! And yet, she couldn't just leave. If she did, who knows what those terrorists would do with an entire aircraft carrier at their disposal?

She had gotten into fights as a little girl. A lot of the bigger bullies picked her out because of her dad's reputation as a chi-blocking master. She had remembered her friends offering to help her fight, but in the end, she had to refuse. No matter what happened, these weren't her father's fights, or her friends at the Air Bending academy's fights. They were hers. And she had to stand up for herself, so no one else would suffer.

This was much the same. Even if Tong had introduced her to all these things, they were bigger than her, bigger than her friend, and bigger than everyone around her. And if she was in a situation where she could save people, leaving them to their own fate was the coward's way out.

"HEY, FREAKS!"

The two spirits turned towards the disturbance and ran to face their target. Clutching the carbine in her hand, she looked down the sights and faced her enemy. She was calm, and collected.

Shocker bolts riddled the two creatures, driving them back until the cell was drained. Tossing the weapon aside, Kushina drew her pistol and continued to fire on the surviving spirit. Several bolts later, she stood alone, the other spirits destroyed, and the console unguarded. She sighed, reloading her weapons, and prepared to send out her message.

It had taken about an hour, but about twenty people who identified as capable of performing purification were found and bought to where the spirits were. Tong looked on, content to follow the leads of the people bought in.

* * *

"Are you guys sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course I do!" one man with frazzled hair shouted towards an excited Tong. "I was taught purification from the finest books on the subject!"

By the men and women who were preparing for the purification ritual was Shing, who looked on. "You know, I've never purified a live spirit before. Dark spirits are very rare."

"Yeah, but you're an Air Nation member. Aren't you guys all supposed to be spiritual and in tune with nature and all that tree hugger crap?"

"What's the hell's that supposed to…" Shing asked, before his friend offered a sly smile. He sighed, and with the group, began to focus on the spirits in front.

"Now remember," an older man in red robes began, "according to our exuberant friend, something has placed a taint on these creatures. We must rid them of it to end this battle while Old Iron still controls them."

The sight was beautiful, in a strange way. Those that could bend circled the creatures with flame, water, earth, and air, while those who couldn't raised their hands, as if to speak with the creatures on a deeper level. Luckily, they stood still, the black color that littered the spirits vanishing, replaced with blue and white. Soon afterwards, the spirits vanished, presumably returning to the spirit world from which they came.

"They are freed," Tong began as he looked at Old Iron. The spirit shook its head, pointing towards the sea.

"SOME…BUT NOT ALL. I TRUST YOU TO UPHOLD OUR BARGAIN, BUT I WILL NOT LEAVE UNTIL ALL MY KIN ARE SAFE FROM THE TAINT."

"He's pointing towards the ocean," a soldier asked. "What does he mean?"

* * *

"Firelord Kaede, the spirits on the island have vanished. However, we've received a rather disturbing message from the _Shield_ via secure channel.

"What does it say?"

"It says 'Attack on Capital City a diversion. Real target is carrier. New Ozai society. Ships have been…mined?"

"Honored Firelord, we're receiving a message via secure channel! It's the _Shield!"_

"Put them on!" she ordered. A lone voice answered.

 _Firelord. We are in control of the Shield now. We demand it and the battleship Zuko's Fury in exchange for the safety of your island and the souls on the other ships in your fleet. Our terms are non-negotiable._


	10. Dawn of the Phoenix

The pitch black of the sky, save a few stars, hung overhead as an unmasked trooper finished his call. He smiled, looking on at the bridge of the ship, his co-conspirators and the pile of bodies that were incapacitated sailors. However, next to him, someone was less pleased.

"You're not making a public threat? We have the firepower to reduce Capital City to rubble! In the name of the Phoenix King, we should use it!"

"We also are in the middle of an enemy fleet, which although depleted and booby trapped, is not defenseless. Not to mention the jets that are still flying over Capital City from this carrier. If we are overaggressive, we lose everything. Let us take our prize and plot for another day."

"Just because you're hot stuff in the bending ring doesn't mean I take orders from you! I answer to the ideal of the Phoenix King!"

"Yes," the lithe, black haired man replied. "You answer to a dead man. Your zealotry is so blinding I think the sun is out."

"Are you going to listen to this man?" he asked of the others on the bridge. None answered as the unmasked man approached him.

"It's alright. If you don't want to listen, you can meet Ozai personally."

A blade of fire ran the man through, dropping him to the ground. As someone picked the body up and placed it with the others, he addressed his subordinates.

"Get ready to move this ship on my signal. And get ready to shoot down any aircraft that get in range. We need to prepare to leave while we still have darkness to work with. The rest of you go down to the deck and confirm everything there is dead, human and spirit. We have no need for hostages where we're going."

The men saluted, and then ran to their respective assignments.

* * *

"This whole thing was a diversion?!"

Even as General Old Iron loomed above them, while the spirit speakers looked on at the fruits of their work, the soldiers in the area were in full-blown panic mode. The confusion was so great that no one noticed the Earth bender that organized the spirit speakers slip away towards the shore. Nor did they notice the Air bender that followed.

"Tong! Tong!"

"You heard the big scary spirit," Tong replied. "There are tainted spirits on those boats. Which means that White Lotus' real target was the Fire Nation fleet, not the city. And if General Old Iron is going to go away, I need to honor our agreement and lure those things back here."

"By yourself. You're going to go board an AIRCRAFT CARRIER, and reclaim it from terrorists, AND purify all the spirits that are there?"

"No, I'm going to direct them to the shore, where all of you are going to purify them. Then I'm going to find the guy who organized this attack and make him pay for it."

Taking his staff, Tong flicked it, revealing the glider hidden within, as he prepared to set off.

"Hey, genius, you Earth bent in front of everybody! You want people to know how many elements you can bend?"

"That's why I snuck away. Anyone asks," Tong continued as he took to the air with his glider, "I took a boat."

Shing attempted to protest, but at that point, Tong was already in the night sky. He didn't want to do that, but at the end, he made a promise, and lest more people get hurt, he had to keep it.

 _YOU CAN FEEL THEIR PRESENCE CAN'T YOU?_

Tong looked around, seeing where the source of the voice was, but none was apparent.

 _WE HAVE A TEMPORARY BOND DUE TO OUR INTERACTIONS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD, AND OUR THOUGHTS ALIGN IN A WAY YOU WOULD DESCRIBE AS A VOICE IN YOUR HEAD. IT WAS INTENDED TO MAKE SURE YOU KEPT YOUR PROMISE, BUT PERHAPS I CAN USE IT TO HELP US ACHIEVE OUR COMMON GOAL._

"Well don't go poking around too deeply," Tong replied with a sense of annoyance. "There's stuff in here I don't need people seeing."

 _SUCH AN ARROGANT ASSUMPTION. I ASSURE YOU I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE PERSONAL THOUGHTS OF HUMANS. JUST THAT MY KIN ARE RESCUED._

Tong didn't answer that, but instead looked out towards the ships, all of which, save two, were strangely still. The faint presence of the spirits could be felt, whether this was an inherent power of the Not-Avatar, or a result of his connection with Old Iron, he didn't know. All he knew was that they were on board two ships.

"OK, now what?"

 _FIND MY KIN. OUR LINK WILL ALLOW ME TO DIRECT THEM HERE. YOUR HUMANS ARE WAITING ON THE SHORE TO REMOVE THEIR TAINT, ARE THEY NOT?_

"Yeah. So I don't need to act as bait?"

 _YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN DIRECT THEM THROUGH YOU. FIND THE LARGEST GROUP OF SPIRITS. THE REST WILL FOLLOW._

With his goal clear, under the cover of darkness, Tong headed for the aircraft carrier, hoping no one noticed him.

* * *

The area by the shore was a continued flurry of activity. Once Shing had explained that the spirits on board the carrier would be heading towards land, preparations were made to meet them, both with the spirit purifiers, as well as soldiers and artillery, just in case. The line of men, women and weapons by the area was disconcerting to say the least. All the while, General Old Iron just looked on at the group, not moving, not saying a word. It was eerie to say the least.

"What's with him?" someone asked. Another soldier shook his head.

"Dunno. Where's the idiot that organized all this?"

"About that, he ran off to find the rest of the spirits."

"He WHAT?!" the soldier shouted. "Do you have any idea how…"

"Hey, last I checked he wasn't Fire Nation military," Shing answered defensively. "Besides, I think the big guy put him up to it."

Both stared at the still monolith that was General Old Iron before resuming their preparations.

* * *

While he had hoped to make a stealthy landing on board the ship, the sounds of flame and weapons being fired quickly dispelled that notion. But when he finally reached the deck, he realized those sounds had nothing to do with him.

Below the main deck, three fire benders and someone with a Shocker were shooting at a group of both dark spirits and masked men. Luckily for him, the hallways were surrounded with metal, which made separating the spirits and both sides of the firefight relatively simple.

"Wha…UGH!"

Two of the masked assailants were quickly dispatched with well-timed air pushing them into the metal surroundings, while one was just hit upside his head by Tong's staff. As he retracted the metal that sealed them in, he wasn't greeted with thanks, but balls of fire and Shocker blasts.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" he shouted, running for cover. "I'M ON YOUR SIDE!" The flame stopped, only for a woman in the same skintight black uniform as the saboteurs to leap towards Tong and attack. The pair exchanged blows for a few moments, neither able to hit the other, before coming face to face.

"KUSHINA?!"

"You!" the black haired woman replied with pure shock in her voice. "You idiot! What are you doing here now?!"

"What are you talking about? Why are you here? What's going on?"

"This is your fault," she began, lowering her fists. "I saw you and Shing making idiots out of yourselves at the arena, and you're following me!"

"No, I'm here to stop the spirits that took over the ship!"

The next reply wasn't from the confused and upset woman in front of him, but the men in Fire Nation uniforms that were behind her. "Who the hell are you supposed to be? And how can you help with those spirits?"

The explanation from both sides was brief, Tong noting what happened on the shore, and Kushina describing how she followed the saboteurs to the carrier. The sailors, with no reason to disbelieve the woman who was trying to save the crew or the man who saved them both, nodded in affirmation. To prove his goal, Tong faced down the spirits that were in the hall, and touched them even as they lashed out. Instead of attacking them, they headed for the shore.

"OK, how are you doing that?"

"I have help," the Earth bender answered. "Now let's see what we can do about helping out the rest of your men."

"They're holed up in a lot of the common areas down there. Hopefully they can hold out till we get there."

"Then let's move!"

"I don't take orders from civilians!" one of the sailors shouted, before looking around and going "OK, let's move!"

* * *

"Any word from the Firelord?"

"No sir. Complete radio silence. But no effort to impede our movement either. We should be able to slip away with relative ease."

"Excellent. How are our men doing below deck?"

"They haven't reported in."

"Sir, look!"

From the bridge of the carrier, Funaki looked and saw droves of dark spirits leaving not only the carrier, but the battleship they had commandeered as well. Something had driven the spirits away, and with them gone, they could be outnumbered, even dealing with a skeleton crew. Then he turned his attention to the deck, and saw a lone figure waiting for him.

"Grr…he's challenging me! Get down there and kill anyone the spirits didn't! And if anyone tries to take the bridge, detonate the mines!"

"How can we move this thing if we all leave?" one man asked.

"This computer will operate the ship by itself. Now get moving!"

"Yes sir!" As the men ran off, Funaki reached for a communication device on his ear and pressed a button.

"Do we have control of the hangar?"

 _Hangar 1 and 2 sir. No words from the other scouts yet on hangar 3 through 5._

"Then listen carefully. I need you to help me out with something."

* * *

Tong knew that he had gotten the ringleader's attention when he saw the man leaping towards him, using flame from his hands to slow his descent. It was nothing if not flashy. As he looked on, the reason for his showmanship was made clear.

"I should have put the pieces together when I saw your demonstration after that night in Republic City."

"Failure is made of 'should-have's, Specialist," Funaki replied, drawing his fire blade. "Although I didn't expect you to come here, and I don't know how you got rid of the spirits, it matters not. I'm going to kill you, leave with this ship, and watch as Avatar Korra reshapes the world."

"Over my dead body," Tong answered, readying his staff.

"That's the idea," Funaki answered. "Let's end this quickly."

"You'll find me a little tougher than those cans you trotted out to fight." Both prepared to face each other, when suddenly the noise of whirring gears was heard. Arriving next to Funaki was a mecha tank raised into position by elevator, and armed.

"Oh come now, " Funaki taunted as the tank raised its cannon to fire. "You didn't really think I was going to play fair, did you?"

The pilot said nothing but instead fired upon Tong, who had nowhere to run for cover. The blast missed but the impact was enough to send him flying. On the ground, he looked up at the machine ready to finish him off when he heard the sound of another elevator rising to the surface. A second mecha tank stood on the deck, and fired on Tong's assailant, who moved out of the way, but not before getting left arm damaged.

"What in the…" His confusion was soon cleared by a familiar voice.

"I thought you could use some help, little guy. The survivors have all organized and are retaking the ship. It's over."

Smiling, Tong stood to his feet, facing down his enemies. "Well, this is a bit more fair, isn't it?"

"You may have retaken the ship," Funaki began, "but the rest of the fleet is still mined, and I can still kill you, Specialist!"

* * *

"They're coming this way. Spirits. A lot of them."

They approached, an eerie light in the otherwise dark sky. Spirits were encroaching upon the area, and everyone at the shore was ready. At least they were until a few began buzzing towards them, prepared to attack.

"Prepare to fire!"

"No!" Shing shouted. "If we fire, the big one will start attacking immediately! We need to stick to the plan!" Turning to the group of spirit purifiers, he went "Everyone together!" as they began their ritual.

* * *

The abilities of the Fire Blade to deflect attacks were not exaggerated. Flame, metal, and wind were brushed aside by Funaki's sword as he moved in for the kill, while Tong did his best to defend. Knowing that fire would easily incinerate wood, he made sure not to block the blade, but to dodge and avoid it.

"You can't approach the flame without being burned, can you? The true Avatar could extinguish it, but you, Specialist, are helpless!"

The battle between mecha tanks was much more straightforward. Both units fired upon each other until Kushina scored a hit on the enemy's cannon, destroying it, but not to be outdone, the enemy dashed forward and cleaved Kushina's cannon in two with its sword, forcing her back. Although Kushina had considerable experience with mecha tanks, the Sun Fang had notable differences from the Duck Bat's she was used to testing, most notably, using a superheated sword instead of the bayonet punch. This made it uncomfortable for her to engage the enemy up close, a disadvantage her opponent was more than happy to exploit.

"Give it up girlie," the man blared over his speaker as he began to back Kushina up with a combination of sword slashes and flame. "Some punk newbie that fell into a cockpit could never compete with a real pilot!"

She quickly realized that as large as the carrier was, she was beginning to approach the edge. It was now or never to do something!

* * *

"It's working!" someone shouted as the spirits seemed to brighten in color, the crowd gasping in shock as whatever darkness seemed to affect the creatures was cast out. And yet they still approached, one prepared to bite the head of the purifier. The soldiers were set to act, when finally in one bright flash, the spirits had vanished.

"IT IS DONE."

The monolith that called itself General Old Iron stood, but instead of attacking, began walking out to sea. Everyone present was clearly confused.

"What's done?"

"YOUR FRIEND FULFILLED HIS END OF OUR BARGAIN," Old Iron answered even as he continued to walk out to sea, his pace unrelenting. "MY KIN ARE SAFE. AS PROMISED I WILL RETURN TO THE SPIRIT WORLD. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO REMAIN AMONG HUMANS."

"Well you're welcome," Shing mouthed to himself, annoyed at the haughty tone of the spirit.

"Well, that's one problem down," a soldier remarked, looking at the spirit heading into the sea. "Now what about the fleet?"

* * *

At opposite ends of the deck, two fights were taking place. One between two mecha tanks and the second between two benders. Each combatant was focused solely on their fight, ignoring anything else that could distract them.

In Kushina's case, she saw her enemy charge forward, flame throwers at the ready, and prepared to counter.

"Time to show you what a professional can do, brat!"

"I'm an engineer," Kushina answered as her unit drew its sword and charged forward, "and you know the difference between us and grunts?"

"What?"

"We're smarter!" With that last line, the sword slashed not at the torso, but at the legs, cutting them off and causing the top of the mecha tank to sputter and fall. Still attached to the main unit however, its flame continued to spread into sensitive equipment, causing the entire machine to catch fire and its pilot to eject in a mad frenzy, only to get knocked down and out by a strike from the mechanical arm of Kushina's mecha.

As she looked around, taking in her victory, she soon realized that both Tong and Funaki were fighting right in front of her. Unfortunately, so did Funaki, who leapt onto her mecha tank and began to sink his blade inside the cockpit. Desperately, she began to move out of the way inside the cramped machine, but realized there was almost nowhere to hide.

"No one will interrupt my cause, least of all some worthless wage slave!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Funaki's turn was the entire opening Tong needed. A powerful wind gust sent him flying into the air before a blow to his chest sent him flying down to the deck. Quickly, he drew his blade, only to find the wood he was using knocked out of his hands.

"And here's the final blow!"

From the ocean emerged a massive stream of water, which rammed Funaki, extinguishing any fire he could create, and knocking him to the ground. When it cleared, he realized that he was encased in ice, save his head.

"My cause is just! Don't you see what we can do?" Funaki shouted, only to be knocked unconscious by a blow from Tong's staff.

Turning to the mecha tank, he saw Kushina emerge, thankfully unharmed save some scrapes from the battle. She looked on at the man, who was unsure of what was planned for her friend/perceived tormentor.

She slapped him clean across the face.

Then she embraced him, an embrace he returned.

"Listen Nuktuk," she began, not letting him free from her embrace, "If you put me in a situation like this again, and you're not around to help, when I'm done, I really am going to kill you, got it?"

"If you got hurt because of me, you could do whatever you wanted to me," he answered.

"You really do need me around. I'm saving you as much as you are me."

"You don't hate me for it, do you?"

"No. Just remember our promise."

The pair remained in the embrace for a good minute. They were oblivious to the sun rising over the carrier, or the sailors who emerged from the deck, victorious over the White Lotus saboteurs. Luckily for them, their commander saw fit to ensure that the pair's moment wasn't interrupted. They had helped to save the carrier after all, and kept the saboteurs at bay long enough to reclaim the ship and destroy the computer steering it. A similar, if less dramatic version of the story was playing out on _Zuko's Fury,_ with the sailors routing the hijackers after the spirits were drawn away, preventing the mines from being detonated by the remote detonator on board.

Finally, Tong and Kushina let their embrace go, with the woman asking "What do we do now?" Her friend had an idea of what to do, but the sound of helicopter blades whirring prevented him from acting on that instinct, however faint it was.

"I think we need to let them know we're OK. And that we need a ride back to town."

Smiling at each other, then their rescuers, the pair waved to the trio of helicopters as the sun continued to rise.

The trio of scout helicopters had launched as soon as the ordeal with the spirits on the mainland was dealt with. None of the pilots were sure of what they were going to encounter. One however, did notice the pair on the deck, waving towards them.

"Hey, Quatre, it's that idiot who made the spirits disappear! How the hell did he get on the ship?"

"No clue, but I don't think he's a bad guy Trowa. Call in the base."

"Base, this Owl 1. The _Shield_ is back under Fire Nation control. We're coming in to pick up survivors."

Against the rising sun, the helicopters approached the waving pair, descending to the carrier to bring them all back to shore. Whoever they were, they and the sailors that turned back the hijackers deserved a hero's welcome.


	11. Lessons: Part I

_I don't know what I can do for you. I mean, I'm sorry…_

 _What do you mean you don't know? I want you, you silly man._

 _No you don't._

 _W…what?_

 _I've made peace with the fact you two love each other and not me. So why come back now?_

 _Because…she's never there. Every day she's carried away to some other thing, and I can't remember the last time she was home._

 _So then that's all I am? Something to keep you company, like a plush platypus bear?_

 _No, that isn't it at all._

 _Then go bring her home. You're too…too damn stubborn to just let someone take her away from you! That's why she loves you in the first place! That's why I loved you in the first place!_

* * *

Light poured into the room where Tong was sleeping, interrupting his dream. A very vivid dream as far as sound, almost as if it were someone's memory. But no visual accompanied that sound, as if the conversation was being held while wearing a blindfold. But given the sheer amount of spirits he was in contact with, it could have been anyone's.

His eyes fully opened, taking in the full view of the room that he had only barely glimpsed before collapsing into a heap on the bed. It was all starting to flood back. The sheer mass of press that asked where the hell he came from and how he was able to foil a terrorist sabotage of the Fire Nation 5th fleet. Demands that he speak with the Firelord herself over what the press was dubbing selfless heroism. Something about a ceremony for him and his two friends to receive the Burning Chalice, which was apparently a major honor the Fire Nation awarded to non-citizens. And of course, this hotel room, which was presumably much nicer than wherever the fairly frugal Shing had booked for them to stay. The red drapes kept the sun from completely covering his face, and the fairly large bed was like a marshmallow. That probably explained why it was so easy for him to fall asleep for close to an entire day.

"I haven't been that out of it since those college all-nighters," he mused aloud to no one in particular. Looking around, first at the clock that read 8:00am, then the rest of the room, he realized that he was alone, unlike some of those nights. Presumably his friends were all given different rooms. Having no idea of what to do, Tong reached for a remote control by the bedside table when a loud knock interrupted him.

"Coming!" he shouted groggily as he arose from the bed to open the door, silently hoping that it was room service with an order of griddlecakes and sky fowl eggs.

"Tong is it?" a female voice asked as he opened the door.

"Yeah, who are…"

Looking up, Tong's words went blank as he took in the sight in front of him. A woman, a fairly large woman standing 6'3 by his estimates, looked down at the room's occupant. Her height was accented by the noticeable, although not exaggerated muscles present on her frame, with her figure complimented by a red T-shirt and long jeans. Her pale skin seemed to make her size even more notable in comparison to the 5'10 Tong.

"Forgive the choice of clothes, I didn't want to cause a scene. I'm Leena, Fire Nation Intelligence. We need to talk."

"As much as I don't mind a pretty girl coming to my door," Tong began, trying to maintain an air of suave (and coming off fairly awkwardly doing so) can I at least get breakfast first?"

Leena nodded at his request. "Go get changed. I know a place."

* * *

 _You can't keep going out every time that stupid phone rings! You have your own life to live!_

 _You don't think I want to? If it were up to me, I would stay here, just the two of us, for a month. I want to make up for all that lost time. But if I do, the public crapstorm that he'll start will make us both miserable._

 _Forget him! And forget being the Avatar! Even if it's just for a few days! He doesn't get to tell you how to live your life!_

 _…You're right. He won't._

* * *

The sound of an old pop song rang from the phone, rousing Kushina from her slumber. The odd dream she had faded into the distance, replaced by a sense of confusion. She remembered the terrorists on the carrier, fighting alongside Tong, being rescued, the press, and finally being put up in a really nice hotel.

"Tong…"

There was a decent amount she wanted to talk to the man about. Most notably, whatever quest he was on, and where he was going next. Of course, she couldn't go with him; she had a job to…

The cell phone continued to ring as she realized who was most likely on the other end. Hurriedly, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

 _Oh my goodness, Kushina! You're alright! I saw you all over the news!_

 _"_ Mr. Dairou! I'm so sorry, I meant to call you but…"

 _I knew we were interviewing a talented engineer, but I didn't realize we were going to be interviewing a national hero!_

"Hero? Me?"

 _You saved Capital City from the New Ozai Society along with your boyfriend…_

"He's not my boyfriend," Kushina interrupted. Of course that had to be the first thing out of her mouth, and not asking if everyone knew what she had done.

 _Sorry, but you've been all over the news. The picture of you and your friend waving from the deck of_ Shield of the Firelord _has gone viral. You're supposed to receive the Burning Chalice with your two friends when the festival concludes tomorrow!_

"I'm aware," she answered, the questioning and accolades returning to her memory. "Look, Mr. Dariou, I still want to talk to you about that job opening. Are we still on for that interview with the rest of your department?"

 _…Come to my office. We have a lot to discuss._

* * *

 _You dare strike a public servant?_

 _I'll do more than just 'strike' you if you don't get out of my house!_

 _This isn't your house; it's the Avatar's house. And she is needed! You are an obstruction, nothing more!_

 _I get it. You don't like people of my, what, orientation? Is that the word everyone is using? Then again, I'm sure you've said a lot worse. Well guess what? I don't like you much either. And I will NOT let you run her ragged for every little thing so you can take photos and build your portfolio to run for president! Do you understand me?_

 _Tell me, how is Tomorrow Technologies running? I must admit that I did admire your ability to create a new company and make it such a commercial powerhouse a mere five years after losing your old one, but what makes you think I won't do to it what I did to Future Industries?_

 ** _CRACK!_**

 _There's another "strike" to think about. Now get out of my house. NOW!_

* * *

The continued knocking on the door was becoming too frequent and too difficult to ignore. Shing stared at the door, really not wanting to get up and answer it. It was so rare that he was on what could be considered a honest-to-goodness day off that he wanted to savor every second in bed, odd dreams aside.

Groaning heavily, he opened the door, revealing a man he recognized from the other day. A man in Air bender tattoos who began bowing feverishly.

"The master Air bender! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"You," Shing began, his memories of the day at the arena flooding back to him, "You're that clown from the arena! How dare you wear the tattoos of a Master Air Bender!"

"But I am a master. I am the self taught Awng!"

"The only thing you're a master of is making an idiot of yourself!" Shing shot back. "Now what do you want?"

"I want you to teach me your style of Air bending!"

This took Shing by surprise, as he offered a short "Teach you?"

"I saw how you defeated Fire Blade, and I was in shock! I'll pay you anything you want! But I must know how you were able to do that!"

With no sign of his friends, and nothing to really do that morning, Shing nodded, grabbing his phone and staff. It was that or stay in bed and watch TV. "Where do you want to do this?"

"My gym. I own a small gym in town where I teach Air bending. We won't be interrupted there."

"Oh please be joking…" Shing muttered to himself before following the overeager student.

* * *

The diner that Leena had taken Tong too seemed fairly busy, with movie posters over the walls and clients more interested in their breakfast and coffee than the amazon speaking with the Earth Kingdom man. Below two posters, one of _Knight Sabers_ and the other of _Nuktuk: The Return_ , the pair sat, Tong more interested in the griddlecakes and eggs than the scenery.

"This is really good," he remarked between bites and pouring fairly liberal amounts of syrup on the cakes. "Where did you find this place?"

"It's on the way to work," Leena answered. "Besides, the owners know I'm a regular. No one will stare at us unless you yell or make a scene.

Tong offered a smirk to the woman that drove him over. "Staring?"

"Like I've seen you do since we sat down, but I'm fairly used to it at this point. Tell me Mr. Mao, do you like tall women?"

Tong quickly fumbled in an attempt to change the subject. "I appreciate the meal," he began in earnest, "But why does Fire Nation Intelligence want to speak with me? And why you?"

"Little old me?" Leena asked, giggling as she did so. "I have a degree in written language and criminal justice. It was a natural fit. As for meeting you instead of some stuffy old guy, let's just say everyone thought you'd be more agreeable to speaking with me than some bored bureaucrat."

"Can't fault that," Tong remarked, having another bite of the eggs. "But why send anyone?"

"I thought that would be obvious," Leena replied, leaning over the table and her omelet to get a closer look at her companion. For his part, Tong blushed slightly, but kept his eyes on her face.

"Ok, and that is?"

"We share a common enemy. I've done my homework on you, Tong Mao. Let's face it, the press narrative of the Earth bender tourist that just happened to be in the right place at the right time wasn't completely accurate, now was it?"

Tong said nothing, but nodded.

"The same people who killed your father also have been weaponizing spirits to use against the Fire Nation. Maybe we can help each other."

"I would appreciate help, but I'm no one's attack polar bear dog," Tong answered.

The woman offered a smile, before leaning over further, going into Tong's ear. He panicked slightly until she whispered something that took him completely off guard.

"Don't be that way. You should want to restore the balance, Avatar Tong."

"DON'T!" Tong shouted, only for the other diner-goers to stare at him. Breathing heavily, he sighed and sat back down, Leena titling her head slightly as she smiled.

"I didn't mean to hit a nerve. In case you're wondering, your friend Maeda did point your issues out to us when we questioned him, but your other secret? That was all me.

"Is this blackmail?" Leena quickly shook her head.

"We should be friends. What's the old saying, 'you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours'? We both want the same thing, and I really do want to help you. Then again, it might take you a bit longer to scratch my back…"

"OK, what do you want me to do?" Tong asked, trying to avoid blushing again.

"Good!" she responded with a grin. "I knew we could work things out. You see, an island in one of the corners of Fire Nation territory has a facility that's owned by Avatar Affairs, and the man in charge is a spirit speaker. I'm sure you can put two and two together, especially with people on the island having gone missing and reports of stone creatures walking the grounds. Whatever he's doing there is a crime not only against spirits, but possibly a precursor to something horrible."

"So you want me to go in there?"

"Not alone," Leena replied. "I'd come with you."

"Why do you need me in the first place?"

"Because we can't send Fire Nation agents to an Avatar Affairs building without causing a major international incident. You on the other hand, have both the skills and lack of a connection to get things done, Mr. Spirit Speaker."

"And what do I get in return?" Tong asked, sipping a glass of orange juice as he did so.

"Fire Nation Intelligence pointing out the people that were around your father's lab the day he died, as well as a list of assassins and mercenaries with connections to Avatar Korra. Oh, and one less jerk doing horrible things to spirits. There's a reason Mr. Maeda was so willing to talk to us. He knew that we could help you in a way he couldn't."

He had been pretty much forced into the situation, but Leena was right about two things. Namely, the Fire Nation and he shared a common enemy in the Avatar's cronies and supporters, and the help of a major government's intelligence agency would be exactly what he needed to crack this case wide open. With a sigh, he nodded in approval to Leena's offer.

"So, when do we leave?"

"After the ceremony. I just know we're gonna have a lot of fun working together, you and I. Oh, wait, that reminds me," she continued, grabbing his hand as she headed for the door, leaving some money for the bill before she left.

"What? Where are we going?"

"The tailor, silly!" Leena answered as she opened the door. "You're going to be accepting an award from the Firelord! We can't have you do that in a hoodie! And trust me, you do not want to offend the Firelord. Don't worry, I know someone that's going to make you look amazing! Then we need you to do some rehearsals…

"Tailor? Rehearsals?" Tong asked confused. "What happened to that request?"

* * *

"How many students do you have?" Shing asked, as he looked around at the "gym". Gym was probably too generous a term, as it was little more than a storefront with mats on the ground and an office in the back. There were no tools to teach Air bending, but there were a large variety of staffs and other weapons off to the side. The office itself had two bookshelves with a wide variety of literature on the combat arts, everything from _The Simpleton's Guide to Nation's Combat_ to _Airbending: The Last Great Master._ Shing reasoned that at least he had plenty of reading material. On one of the walls was a flat panel television hooked up to a disc player, and next to that was a library of discs. Shing figured he was a big mover enthusiast or was watching video of other practitioners for ideas.

"Twenty, Master Shing. I believe that I'm the foremost authority on Air Bending in Capital City."

A twitch formed in Shing's eye as he heard that. "And what is your experience?"

"Well, primarily Wind Razor corr…"

"Wind Razor?"

"Well yes! Air Razor is a truly superior style of Air Bending! The correspondence tapes were quite adamant about that! It's a shame what happened to Grandmaster Yuza, killed by his own jealousy. Luckily his students have moved the art away from that one indiscretion. It's like Master Zeed said, we have to focus on the art, not the person."

"Correspondence tapes?"

"Yes, you see, Grandmaster Yuza was quite aware that people couldn't go to Republic City to travel with him, so what he did was create a correspondence course! You study the basic 36 lessons and then film yourself executing the techniques, which the masters in Repbulic City review! If you pass, you receive a basic certification and then order more advanced lessons! My mastery is verified by Grandmaster Yuza in that certificate over there!"

The Air Nomad breathed deeply, doing his absolute best not to go into a tirade right then and there. "You are aware that I am trained in classical Air Bending, right?"

"Well yes," Awng replied, "and I believe that you are aware of things that my more modernized training might have skipped over. Granted, my style is superior, but I believe there's much we can teach each other."

Shing again had to restrain himself from referring to said 'modernized' training as 'half-assed' but held his tongue. "OK, then show me what your stance looks like."

"Stance? You want to spar?"

"No, I want to see how you stand. We can fix it if we do that."

With a fairly patronizing look on his face, Awng took the stance he was taught. His feet looked heavy, and his hands were raised above his head in the shape of claws. It was less the stance of the actual Wind Razor masters and more a poor imitation of one. And as far as regular Air Nomad fighting stances went, he was far too high up and narrow to be effective at delivering air currents towards anything, which would explain his lack of grace.

"OK, I need you to move your legs further apart, and open your hands."

"Why? Is this how I can defeat Fire Blade?"

"No," Shing responded, taking a classical Air bending stance. "This is the basic stance of an Air Bender. You're light on your feet, swift, and able to redirect your opponent, not meet them head on with brute force.

"But the correspondence tapes…"

"Are you going to trust a recording or an actual expert?" Shing asked, his voice clearly showing that his patience was at an end.

"I'm going to trust my own expertise!" Awng shot back defensively. "It was a mistake to bring you here! All you've done is mock my kind offer!"

Shing's own experience with teaching was fairly minimal, mostly acting as an assistant to the senior most instructors. And usually, those who were at the Air Temple were fairly open minded about what was taught. However, he remembered a few times when students were unruly or openly defiant, instructors would invite them to either demonstrate their 'superior' skillsets or their mastery of what was being taught, and humble the student into being more accepting of the lesson.

And this guy needed some major humbling.

"I'll demonstrate my skill to you directly!" Awng continued, assuming his own stance. "Let us spar, and see who is truly correct!"

"I could have stayed at the hotel and watched TV, but I was nice enough to come out here and help you. Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

* * *

The elevator leading to the fifth floor of Tomorrow Technologies was surprisingly empty that day. Perhaps a lot of employees had the day off, or perhaps they were busy elsewhere. Kushina was unaware. What she was aware of was that Mr. Dariou wanted to see her after all the craziness from two days prior, which hopefully meant they were going to extend a formal job offer.

After getting off the elevator and passing by a secretary, Kushina found herself in a conference room, which was empty save the suited executive with slight traces of gray hair among his black head of hair, and a portrait of a beautiful woman with a relaxed grin.

"Our founder," the man began, "would undoubtedly appreciate your heroism. Please sit."

Despite being relatively uncomfortable with being called a hero, Kushina sat down, nodding. "Where are the others? I was told that I would be meeting with multiple people."

"The situation has changed since midweek," Dairou answered. "Then again, we're used to changing situations here, ever since our founding from the ashes of the old Future Industries."

Kushina had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the executive's self-promotion. She was focused on a more important question.

"What has changed?"

"What has changed? Well, given the situation, I'm not sure if I can hire you as an engineer."

"What?!"


	12. Lessons: Part II

"With all due respect," Kushina began, breathing deeply as she took in the news, "hiring a national hero should make me more qualified, not less!"

Dariou nodded. "I agree. Which is why we want you to come on as a brand representative, not an engineer. At least not right now."

The last statement caused Kushina's shock and anger to be replaced with a clear sense of confusion. "Come again?"

"Someone coming for an interview who took their time to save potentially millions from a hijacked aircraft carrier, with the skill to pilot a mecha tank as she single-handedly…"

"Not single," Kushina replied. "I had help."

"Saved the Fire Nation from disaster", Dariou concluded. "You would be an IDEAL brand representative. Going from nation to nation, advertising our civilian products, doing occasional PR, it'd be perfect. In fact, your friend, the one you were on the carrier with? I think we might hire him as a bodyguard for you."

The confusion only grew greater for Kushina as her employer explained the role. "This is a lot to take in."

"You'd be well compensated of course," Dariou added. "And when your initial tour of publicity was done, we would assuredly have a place for you as an engineer"

"This is almost too generous," Kushina replied. "Why all this for me?"

"Because, much like our founder before us," Dariou began before whispering in Kushina's ear "I will support the true Avatar in any way I can. There are those among our order that are still loyal to the cycle."

"What?"

Dariou said nothing, but offered a smile. "I've drawn up a contract listing the terms and conditions. Believe me, you'll be well compensated as a brand representative and we won't stiff you as an engineer either. Travel and lodging will be covered of course. All you need to do is go to the approved places to promote our products, and let us know what our competitors are up to if you see them. Very simple, right?"

She had been shanghaied. At no point in her life did she see herself as a spokeswoman, model, or anything of the sort. Not even as a kid when some of the little girls were pretending to be princesses. She had always preferred playing racer, competing in the Ember Island Grand Prix or the Misty Palms Run in her custom built race car.

But considering just how generous the terms of the offer were, the fact that she needed a job, and the issues with trouble finding her, it made no sense to turn it down.

"Where do I sign?"

"Right here. Then we need to get you fitted for that ceremony at week's end, so both you and the brand can put their best foot forward. You'll be a shining example of the employees at this company. And in front of the Firelord, no less! Then we'll give you a schedule, some products that you'll need to speak about to potential buyers…"

As Dariou listed her immediate responsibilities, Kushina thought about asking if she needed to wear heels for the ceremony, but thought better of it. Still, it wasn't all bad. After all, these were the good guys, right? This was just a...detour.

* * *

Awng, arms raised, wasted no time with any sort of setups or distractions. He charged Shing head on, hands raised to claw through his opponent so that he would show the self-proclaimed Wind Razor master some respect. He was so focused on attacking that he was completely unprepared for the wind gust assisted tackle that took him to the ground, followed by Shing applying the same armlock that caused Takada to submit at the arena prior.

"AHHH! I GIVE UP!"

"That's how I beat the Fire Blade guy," Shing replied, standing up. "The grappling techniques that Grandmaster Ikki added to Air bending. A novice like you is so focused on the destructive power of bending that you fail to see its other applications, like increasing your speed, evasiveness, and defense. Now, can we try this again?"

"CHEATER!" was all Awng replied with before going for a weapon in a barrel off the mat, two sticks held together by a piece of reinforced rope. Quickly, he began spinning the sticks on the rope as he looked on at his opponent.

"Grappling technique is for fools and cowards!" Awng shouted aloud. "Our tapes did teach about anti-grappling, and they mentioned that Ikki was such a horrible Air bender that she had to resort to trickery to do anything of use! Now that I know you're using Ikki's stupidity, I won't fall for it again!"

* * *

 _And that's the basic attack from mount._

 _That looks dumb. Can't we just push them away with wind? Not touch them?_

 _Wind, like any force, needs direction. This allows you to direct the force much more accurately against a single opponent._

 _Why not just hit them? Ikki didn't sound very smart when she made this up._

 _Why indeed. Ask her yourself._

 _Wha?_

 _So, this is Zhen's son? He gets the streak from your side of the family._

 _And here I always credited his wife. Well Shing, if you want, tell Ikki herself what you think of her grappling technique._

* * *

 _I give! Please! I give up!_

 _Well, what do you think now? Little hellion._

 _C…can you teach me that? That was so cool!_

 _Now, Ikki has retired from teaching. She was here to visit._

 _Oh come now Rohan. I'm your OLDER sister remember? I'll retire when I'm good and ready. And I think I have enough left in me to train one last master of Air bender style grappling._

 _Cool!_

 _You say that now But I take teaching very seriously. Don't think for one second I'll go easy on you!_

* * *

Shing had to give Awng credit for something. He was very good at pressing the Air Nomad's buttons. Still, even a layman with a weapon could be dangerous.

"Do you…know Ikki?

"I just know what the other masters say, and we all consider her a joke!" Awng boasted. "I thought it was common knowledge!"

The last insult caused Shing to grit his teeth, full anger on display. "I was taught personally by that 'joke.' And she's ten thousand times the Air bender you'll ever be!"

"My apologies, but that would explain why you come across so...poorly."

Again, Awng started twirling his sticks like mad, using their movements to shoot off air currents. Shing countered by moving out of the way and using a kick assisted gust to take him off his feet, with a hard punch landing not to the face, but rather his opponent's midsection, knocking the wind out of him. To finish him off, Shing placed a ball of air around the grounded Awng, causing him to struggle to breathe for a few moments before he released the hold.

"Are we done?! If I want to be insulted I'll just go home and have Grandmaster Rohan look over my form. And I won't let some self-proclaimed expert insult Ikki! Do you understand me?!"

Despite the blows to his body and the lack of oxygen, Awng attempted to stand up. "I will not admit defeat…to an…ow, inferior style!"

"Would your students?"

"What?"

"You're not just hurting yourself," Shing began as he looked on at the defeated 'master'. "You're also teaching your students incorrect technique, and when they need it, and they do something wrong, and they get hurt, or worse, who's to blame?"

"But I'm not wrong."

"You have two choices," Shing began. "Give up this whole Air Bending thing and go back to whatever it was you did before you sent away for that correspondence course, or actually go learn from an accredited master. Because this?" he continued pointing at the roof, "I won't allow."

"You won't allow it? What do you plan to do, bring your friends to raze this gym to the ground?"

Shing laughed. "No, just discredit you and make your students realize they're learning from a fraud. We will drag your name through the mud so deeply when it's done you'll need an ocean to clean it off!"

Awng said nothing, but for the first time, his response wasn't anger, but what appeared to be regret.

"If you're willing to learn correctly, then go to the sky bison preserve by the docks. The owner runs trips to Republic City. I can offer you a recommendation to learn at Air Temple Island. As a student. Not a master. You'll be required to have those tattoos removed or at the very least covered so no one sees them, lest you insult every genuine master there."

"I'll book a flight!" Awng replied. "Go to the temple and learn…"

"No. You take the sky bison or you don't get a recommendation. And then they'll never let you in, not after the disgrace you've bought to the Air Nation. Not after the garbage you've said. You so much as blow out a candle and I'll have you so shamed you never show your face outside that office!"

"You can't tell me how to be a master!" Awng shouted, lunging forward before a well-timed foot sweep put him flat on his back.

"You're not a master! You're very comfortable, and that's your problem!" Shing answered. "You're content to stay here, learn about Air bending in the most convenient manner available, and then declare yourself a master? And then you have the nerve to insult true masters like Ikki? The only thing you've mastered is how to throw money at people for accolades!"

Grabbing some items he left on a desk, Shing walked out the door, turning to face the owner one last time.

"My offer stands. But only if you want to do this the right way. If you do, there's a sky bison ready to take you to Air Temple Island. Everything else is up to you."

He left, clutching his head, figuring his friends were actually enjoying their days off.

* * *

Fire Nation Robes? "Too traditional," she said.

Air Nomad clothes? "Too casual," she remarked.

A military style uniform? "Sends the wrong message. You're a citizen that stood up to help others, not a soldier."

A tuxedo?

"I love it! But I think it's best saved for another occasion."

"Where did you get that dress?!" Tong shouted, as Leena stood next to him in what appeared to be a wedding gown of all things, leaning over the shorter man. This made it official. She was deliberately trying to mess with him. He hadn't seen someone act like this since the cheerleaders back in high school. In the Fire Nation. Were all Fire Nation women either bubbly airheads or cold scheming masterminds? There was no in-between?

"I think it'd look good for you when you find someone, but this is an award ceremony."

"So, the gray business suit then?"

"Yeah, try that on again. It really establishes a look of respect."

* * *

Rofu washed his face and his hands earnestly; making sure every detail of his appearance was perfect. He knew that in the end, it wasn't going to matter much. Looking on at the monitor in his office, the Water Tribe man breathed deeply.

"Commander."

"Honored Petals," Rofu began, kneeling. "Forgive my failure," he began, nearly tearing up when he said the words. "I didn't know this would happen. But I assure, this setback is temporary at best."

 _You are on line with the senior-most command structure of White Lotus. Everyone is witnessing your groveling. Show some dignity._

"O…of course Dragon," Rofu answered, standing up. The next voice was nowhere near as sympathetic.

 _You have one chance to explain why you should be forgiven for bungling such a complex operation. One you claimed that you could handle with ease._

 _And using my resources without asking! Funaki was part of my…_

 _Hold your tongue Han. We are aware of his allotment of resources. And question his methods. Despite all of those, Rofu, you not only have no ships to show for your effort, but you also have this insult!_

The screen cut to showing the cover of a news website, namely the Specialist, as he was known, and a woman both waving on the deck of an aircraft carrier, presumably to their rescuers.

"Him. I was unaware that he was there, but we know where to…"

 _He's now considered a hero by the Fire Nation! You did not account for this, or for his ability to deal with the spirits you said were going to be the answer to all our problems! All you've done is given him a new ally and potentially opened our plans to scrutiny! Until everything is finalized and we are ready to march, we are vulnerable!_

"Give me another chance. OK, I failed to account for one silly error, but now that I know what the issue is, it clearly won't happen again! In fact, I've spent the last day working on a new plan to seize the carrier when it's back out to sea, and it should only require a minimum of resources. With your approval, I would like to carry out this plan."

 _What will make this different? Why should we trust you?_

"You are aware of my expertise in organization and planning, considering everything I've done for this organization. Not to mention, even in failure, the only captured agent that is aware of us is Funaki, and not only will he not talk, he is likely blinded to the bigger picture. We are safe. Therefore, striking again is simple, easy, and above all, prompt. My plan will succeed without issue, I promise you. Failure only has hardened my resolve."

No fear showed in his voice. He was confident that his speech, coupled with his past accolades, would make this simple enough. Soon he would back to planning and this whole incident could be put in the past where it belonged.

 _It is…an admirable plan, but we will be going in a different direction. You are dismissed._

The last thing Rofu felt was something sharp go into the back of his head before everything went black. He never heard the last words from the monitor in his office.

 _Good work Observer. Now clean up the mess._

* * *

The bar in the Grand Capital hotel was much like the rest of the accommodations, very high scale. So when he sat down after finally being dismissed for the day, Tong found himself on a rather comfortable stool, with soft jazz music playing over speakers.

"What can I get you?"

"You have lemon shandy?"

"Yeah, we have that."

"Get me a pint."

"Sure."

Tong nodded in thanks, then slumped over the bar table, exhausted from the hours of rehearsing his reactions. The Fire Nation, in particular Leena, wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for the ceremony. That included finally deciding on a suit, getting everything custom fitted, then rehearsing everything he had to do when finally presented with the Burning Chalice. His sole relief was that he was not expected to perform a speech.

The bartender returned with the slightly yellowish liquid, a combination of lemonade and ale, as he reached over for it. Before he drank it, a woman sat next to him asking for a drink order.

"May I have a strawberry cocktail please?"

He looked over at the familiar voice, and saw Kushina, appearing utterly exhausted. "Long day?" he asked.

"I have a job," she remarked. "And so do you actually. This is the result."

"What?"

Before she could explain, a familiar face, no longer bothering to cover his arrow tattoos with his cap, sat down next to the pair, looking like he had a headache.

"Cactus juice. Leave the bottle."

Soon enough, the bartender bought Shing a glass filled with cactus juice, and the others looking on at him. All three chuckled at the absurdity of where they were in their lives before raising their drinks.

"To Fire Nation hospitality", Tong began.

"And new opportunities," Kushina continued.

"And life's lessons," Shing concluded.

The trio smiled, before each having their drinks. As they settled in to relax, a fourth presence entered into the bar.

"Tong! There were some things you needed to sign for to clear the suit." Smiling, the tall woman looked down at the 5'7 Air bender with a curious grin. "Who's your friend?"

"Tong, who's this? And why does she look like she's going to eat me?"

* * *

 _If Chanming comes back again, call it in and we'll make sure he's…occupied. No one's going to interrupt your vacation._

 _You really are the best._

 _Yeah, you have no idea how much I need this._

 _I do what I can._

 _No, she's right. You are the best. The best friend two girls could possibly ask for._

 _Thanks._

 _Well, see you later!_

 _Bye now._

The man's eyes saw his two friends walk out the door, presumably to whatever fancy place they were going to spend the next two weeks. He turned to the office in his house and sat down at the desk, a bottle and glass next to it. He looked on at the various pictures of his friends; his comrades in arms, and his brother's wedding to the love of his life. He sighed as he filled the glass with the contents of the bottle.

 _I am the best friend. That's all I am._

 _That's all I'll ever be._


	13. Sands of Souls

The roar of the engines could be heard even inside the hangar as the pair looked down towards the island. The height of the jump caused Tong to sweat.

"So I just jump?" he asked Leena, shouting his question over the engines.

The woman next to him had no such concerns, shouting back. "Yeah, it's pretty easy, especially for an Air Bender! Just use your air currents when you get close enough to slow your descent! I can do the same thing with my fire! Sort of like firing a rocket."

"And everyone thinks I've been asked to fill out paperwork, right?"

"Your friends have no idea what we're up to. And let's face it, did you really want to take them along for this?"

"No. OK, just jump. Just jump."

"Yup! Out you go!"

"W…wait!" But it was too late. One forceful push and Tong was going out of the aircraft, Leena following after. Realizing that protests were useless, Tong breathed in as deeply as possible, remembering his Air Bender training. It was just a matter of letting the currents guide his fall.

"Be the leaf," he muttered to himself. "Be the leaf."

* * *

 _Eighteen hours earlier…_

"And so it is, with great honor, that I award the Burning Chalice to these three individuals, as a symbol of the Fire Nation's friendship with the members of other nations, and the continued hope that we can cast aside old grudges and work for a brighter future."

The crowd clapped as Tong rose in his business suit and collected the chalice, a large gold cup emblazoned with the symbol of the Fire Nation, while Kushina (in her own formal dress) and Shing (in Air Bender robes, fairly adamant about not wearing a suit) stood besides him, shaking Firelord Kaede's hand and then politely sitting back down while the Firelord continued her speech.

"Well, you're a hero now," Shing joked.

"We all are," Tong answered. "But this kind of blows the whole 'secret mission' approach right out of the water."

"Hey," Kushina answered, "at least you have a job."

"Right. A bodyguard for TT's newest model."

"Brand representative," Kushina shot back. "Right Av…"

Tong shot her a death glare before she could finish.

* * *

After the initial shock, Tong landed fairly softly on the island beach, Leena following close behind. The black uniform she wore shone brightly in the pounding sun as the pair looked up what appeared to be a featureless building, two stories tall. His uniform was admittedly similar, but it didn't hug the body nearly as tightly.

"Seems kinda tiny for what they're allegedly doing."

"That's because most of it is underground," Leena replied. "Let's keep moving."

The beach itself was fairly narrow, only half a mile from the ocean before some grassy plain took over. Save the pair, the island appeared deserted, with no signs of life from the building or anywhere else on the island.

"This is weird," Tong mused aloud. "I'm new at this whole stealth commando thing, but shouldn't there be guards?"

As the pair neared the edge of the beach, the sound of rumbling interrupted them. Leena looked on with a scowl.

"You had to jinx it, didn't you?!"

"I said I was new at this!"

"Next time, let me explain before you open your mouth!"

From the sands emerged beings that looked human, but made of sand, earth, and rock, with no faces to speak of. And there were dozens of them. All of these creatures took fighting stances as the pair looked on.

* * *

The three sighed as they were finally dismissed from the closing ceremonies of the festival. The award, that was great. The tedium that followed it wasn't.

"So," Kushina asked, "where's our merry band of misfits heading next?"

"You seem surprisingly on board with this now," Tong commented.

"I'm getting paid. It helps. You sure as hell weren't going to foot the bill."

Tong sighed, choosing to ignore the second comment. "I need to find where we're heading next. The Fire Nation wants to talk to me again. I should be back tomorrow."

"That works," Kushina answered. "I still need to sign some more papers and figure out what I'm supposed to say when I'm representing the company. Then I'll go hit the range for a bit."

"And I need to go take care of some…personal matters," Shing concluded. The pair couldn't help but stare.

"It wasn't the same thing that caused you to down a bottle of cactus juice and go running through the hotel hitting on women, was it?"

Shing said nothing, but turned a dark shade of red as Tong continued. "You're lucky that woman from the Fire Nation was there to hold you back."

"That amazon you decided to bring back with you?" Shing answered. "I felt like she was going to rip me in half!"

"Well she kept you from looking like an idiot, so you should be thankful." Kushina said nothing, but laughed remembering Leena, as she was called, dangling Shing above the ground until he agreed to calm down.

"Just do us all a favor. Lay off the cactus juice for a few…months."

* * *

The good thing about the stone automatons was that a gust of wind or a blast of flame was usually enough to put one of them down.

The bad thing was that because they were so close to dirt and sand, another would inevitably rise to replace its fallen comrade.

"This isn't working!" Tong shouted even as a wind gust knocked a few of the creatures back. "There's too many of them!"

"The building!" Leena shouted. "Hold them off while I deal with the lock!"

Leaving Tong to deal with the golems even as they swarmed him, Leena quickly went for the most notable door to the facility, a fairly large gate that seemed to be used for storage. Hurriedly, she began applying flame in an attempt to force an opening.

"Any time you're ready!" Tong shouted, doing his best to avoid having his legs ensnared by the creatures. "I only have two hands and two legs!"

"Just a bit more," Leena responded. "There! Go! Go!"

The makeshift door was wide enough for each of them to fit through. Hurriedly, both ran inside, the golems unable to pursue onto the tile floor.

"Ok," Leena announced between deep breaths. "You've broken into your first secret compound. You are now officially a spy."

* * *

"You're the guy that bought the sky bison over, right? Pick up?"

"Not quite. I'm waiting to see if someone takes a ride."

"Sure. Having you around is good for business. But why the coat?"

As Shing looked at both the man and then at Nasha, petting the sky bison, he replied, "I didn't want to make a scene."

"No," the owner replied. "Make a scene! Heroes prefer sky bison! And we cost way less than airlines! The ad practically makes itself!"

"Maybe later," Shing replied, sitting down. He had no idea if who he expected was going to show, but it was worth looking into.

* * *

Leena's initial guess had been correct. While the inside of the building was unimpressive, mostly an empty storage facility with second floor offices that were sparsely decorated, the elevator next to said offices led to an underground facility. One about six floors deep.

"Well, so far so good," Tong began, looking around the well lit silver hallways. "But again, no guards, no nothing. Is anyone even here?"

"Judging by all those stone monsters that wanted to keep us out," Leena answered, "I'm going to guess 'yes.' Speaking of people," she continued, "when did you meet those other two?"

"Is now the best time to discuss this?"

"Yes! Yes it is! We can't just be silent and go from place to place. Otherwise we're no better than those statues! Come on, tell me."

Tong nodded. "I grew up with them. We met when I was a kid, and I always kept in touch even after I left Republic City. We met up a few months ago after well, my dad died, and it's been a combination of people trying to kill us and me trying to figure out what happened."

"A girl that follows you to an aircraft carrier is what we call a keeper."

"Kushina isn't my…"

"Aww, and here I thought you two looked cute together."

"No, she," Tong answered, "got dragged into this by me. I get it, I'm not the Avatar. I've had the world telling me that for a while. Korra's the Avatar."

"Yes, 'Korra'. As if the bureaucrat barking orders from her own government is the same woman that saved Republic City from the Equalists, the Dark Avatar, Red Lotus, and the Colossus. We both know that 'Korra' isn't the real deal."

"The rest of the world seems just fine without me," Tong replied. "And then my friends get threatened by some jackasses because of a role I don't want? And was never asked to do? I'm going to find whoever's responsible for this. And I won't let Kushina suffer for me."

Leena said nothing, but looked on concerned as Tong continued. "It's my fault she was targeted. And I'm going to keep her safe." Finally, Leena spoke.

"In case you haven't realized, the world isn't OK. There are psychos corrupting spirits and sic'ing them on innocent people. There's the possibility that the so-called Avatar is planning to kill millions for her own gain. And you actually want to help people. You know what? I'd rather you were the Avatar than whoever ordered dark spirits to attack Capital City."

"And what about you?" Tong asked, attempting to change the subject. "Anyone special in your life?"

"Nothing steady," Leena answered. "But I find some people are intimidated by me. Crazy, right? Me? Intimidating?"

"Gee," Tong remarked as he looked up at the amazon next to him, "I have no idea why people would be intimidated by you."

"I don't let it bother me. Truth be told, I do like being the taller one, but that doesn't make me scary! Although that does remind me…"

"Yeah?"

"That friend of yours, Shing? The one that got loaded on cactus juice? He's kinda cute. Is he seeing anyone?"

Tong was about to answer that question when he happened upon of all things, a blue creature that resembled a spirit. Wasting no time, Tong ran after it until he found himself in what appeared to be a small room with nothing but a television.

"Well, where's the show?"

The monitor sprang to life just as Leena entered the room, looking on at the image on the television, a black haired, bearded man in green robes with the symbol of Avatar Affairs on his left shoulder. Behind him flowed a long cape, a trademark of the higher-ranking members of Avatar Affairs.

"I take it you're not lost here, are you, Specialist?"

"You know who I am?" Tong asked. The man laughed."

"Of course I know who you are. My orders have switched from capturing you to killing you on sight. Of course, that was assuming that you were actually going to come to my humble abode, and to be perfectly honest, I believe you would be better used as a test subject. To operate on the Avatar himself, to truly study the link between humans and spirits…would be absolutely fascinating." His last sentence was accented with a sinister grin.

"Enough!" Leena shouted. "You, whoever you are, are responsible for the deaths of Fire Nation citizens!"

"My name is Doctor Koh Ru. And trespassers my long legged friend," the man replied, his face uncomfortably leering at Leena, "are to be dealt with on sight. Of course, seeing as you're down here, I take it you were able to deal with my welcoming committee."

"Save it," Leena answered. "Let's talk, woman to pervert about your crimes."

"If that's what you think I am. Tell you what," the man continued, "find me, and we'll talk. But I don't think you'll be making it to me alive."

The monitor shut off with those ominous words. Tong, however, was less than impressed, metal bending the television in half and hurling it towards the wall. Unlike Shockers and military weapons, television monitors usually weren't treated with anti-metal bending chemicals. Still, for all his grandeur, all that was revealed was drywall and pipes.

"That was a perfectly good TV," Leena lamented.

"Sorry, I thought he was behind the wall."

"Lesson 2 of being a spy. They never hide in plain sight. Let's keep moving."

The pair left the room, finding a stairwell that led to a floor below. Unlike the floor above, filled with hallways and offices, this room was a straight passageway, surrounded by glass cases filled with what appeared to be people. Models, celebrities, old historical figures all stood side by side in what could have been mistaken for a museum.

"Creepy."

 _They're not actual people,_ a voice replied over the intercom, clearly recognizable as Dr. Ru. _You see, one of my hobbies happens to be model-building, in this case human models, combinations of earth, metal and wax. It so happens that my experiments with spirits here and my hobby…intersect._

Out of nowhere the sound of glass shattering came from behind Tong, followed by a burly man wearing a fur vest trying to choke the life out of him. The arm felt as if it were made of stone. Desperately, he tried to keep the attacker from choking him until a pair of strong hands wrapped themselves around the attacker's head, causing the head to burst into flame. Finally, the grip was released as the attacker fell to the ground, Tong looking at his assailant in bewilderment while Leena made sure he did not rise again.

"Was I just attacked by the Honda Takeshi Nuktuk?!"

 _The Takeshi version was always my favorite,_ the voice of Dr. Ru interjected. _The Bolin Nuktuk is a clear product of its time and that stupid voice from Pramuk is just…ugh._

From the destroyed statue rose a blue and white spirit, which quickly flew off. The pair continued to stare at the statue while Dr. Ru gloated.

 _Possession. I've trained spirits to animate bodies. Think of the immediate and long term possibilities. Today, an entire army of stone golems that I can create here with the earth! Tomorrow, perfect duplicates of anyone, that my spirits will act as I tell them to._

Leena's response was simple and direct. "You're insane."

 _No, I am a visionary. And I'll prove it. Go to the end of the hallway._

With nowhere else to go, the pair followed to the end of the hallway, to which they found a recreation of a teashop. Inside the teashop set were four people, two men, and two women, posed as if they were drinking tea and talking about nothing in particular.

"Is that...Korra?" Tong asked, looking at the young ebony skinned woman next to the others.

 _The original Team Avatar, Korra, Bolin and Mako, AKA the future president and the man history forgot, and Asami, AKA the other woman in Korra's life. One of my finer pieces. and the last thing you'll see. Please dispose of our guests. They weren't invited._

The four statues rose from their seats and drew Shocker rifles, opening fire on the pair as Tong and Leena quickly ducked behind a counter for cover. With nowhere to go and nothing to bend for protection, they were trapped.

"Since when does Korra need a rifle?" Leena asked.

 _The spirits can't bend the elements without being bound to a human that can. But they can hold guns well enough._

"Plan?" Tong asked.

"Go high. I'll shoot them low."

Leaping into the air, Tong saw the statues aim their weapons at him, unaware of Leena's assault. Sure enough, fireballs rained down upon them, knocking their weapons away. A powerful quake soon followed as Korra, Asami, and Mako were dealt with, their stone and wax bodies crumbled to dust.

"That was three," Leena noted. "Where's…"

With no facial expression, the Bolin statue charged forward, preparing to fire. Before he could however, metal blades struck his head, knocking it clean off his body.

"You just beheaded Bolin!" Leena exclaimed.

"A Bolin statue," Tong answered. "Totally doesn't count."

"Yeah, but what did you use?" Tong smiled, pointing at a gauntlet on his right arm.

"Metal capsules for metal bending. Learned it from seeing cops in Republic City."

 _I really liked those statues, you cretins!_

"I can break your stuff all day," Tong began, "but you've seem to have hurt enough spirits with the insanity here. How about we settle this face to face?"

 _Have it your way. Two floors down, I'll see you there._

Tong nodded, before taking Leena into a corner.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to go down there, but you keep looking for wherever he's controlling this place."

"You know it's a trap."

"Which is why it's better I go and not both of us," Tong replied.

"OK, I guess we don't have much of a choice."

Walking through the doors next to the stairwell, Tong found himself in what appeared to be a very large pit of earth, bordered by a metal outline. Overhead; a control room was present, with an obvious voice emanating from it.

"So you did come. Good, now you get to see some of my more…improvisational works."

"So you made those statues that attacked us?"

"Don't ask questions you know the answer to," the doctor scoffed. "Sadly, being a distance away meant I couldn't add the finer details to my work. But here, Specialist, here I can make them to the finest detail. And being inside the dirt, I don't need spirits to animate them!"

"Then how about you come down and play?" Tong asked.

"Fraid' not. I have a better idea. If you want to fight the Avatar so bad, I'll give you an Avatar to fight."

From the dirt and sand emerged a woman, or rather, a representation of a strikingly tall woman made of earth and stone. She wore the armor of an old warrior, wielding two war fans and a flat headdress.

"May I present Avatar Kiyoshi, the last Avatar to emerge from the Earth states. A true Avatar unlike yourself."

"I'm not scared of a stone statue," Tong answered.

"Good. Now, let's see what you're made of." The statue assumed a fighting stance, one that Tong quickly met.


	14. The Doll Maker

It was made of stone, earth, and what appeared to be bits of sand and metal. But it looked like what all the old paintings and drawings showed. Avatar Kiyoshi, the vanquisher of Chim the Conqueror, the founder of the Kiyoshi Warriors and the Dai Lee, and allegedly one of the most powerful warriors to ever exist.

So naturally, Tong wasted no time charging the golem, first attempting to hit it with jabs and crosses, then following with a powerful kick to its legs. The Kiyoshi golem responded with movements as fluid as any human, blocking the punches with its war fans, and then leaping into the air.

'Leaping' however, was an incorrect way of describing it. The being actually raised with a pile of earth, as if she were standing on a hill that suddenly rose. It made perfect sense, since the being needed to be connected to the earth to be controlled. From her height she descended, striking at Tong with the war fan and cutting him on the arm, causing him to wince in pain.

"My models," Dr. Ru boasted, "can fight as effectively as any human. And really, whom would most people prefer? One of the greatest warriors to ever live, or a super soldier with daddy issues?"

"She's a doll," Tong countered. "A doll I'm going to break!"

'Kiyoshi' wasted no time attacking again, but this time Tong was ready, first sending a gust of wind to slow her movement forward, followed by earth bending a pillar of stone to strike her from behind. The stone cracked the statue into pieces, which fell to the earth.

"You made an earth pit just to kill me?"

"Don't flatter yourself. Here is where I create my models, using Earth bending. There are tubes up here that connect me to the earth below and allow me to mold my creations. It's just being used for…improvising."

"Well, it's going to take more than a Kiyoshi doll to stop me."

"You're right," Dr. Ru replied. "How about this one?"

Another form emerged from the Earth, this one of a man in long flowing robes with an equally flowing beard. Next to him emerged a woman in robes,

"Avatar Roku, and his wife Ta Min. I have to get all the details correct or I go nuts. But you, you're going to fall to pieces!"

The two relentlessly attacked Tong as Dr. Ru gloated. "Two-on-one isn't exactly fair I know, but I think we're far past things like honor and respect, after you destroyed my beautifully crafted models! And as for your friend, I don't think she'll be able to help you much either."

Tong said nothing, too busy trying to hold off both golems with burst of air, fire, and earth.

"But they were such a lovely couple," Dr. Ru added. "Certainly more than some spouses the Avatars have taken throughout history. Still better than you, who will likely be forever alone."

The last remark caused Tong to grimace, landing a left hook square into what would be the ribcage of 'Roku." Normally, against stone, a regular human's hand would be broken in multiple places. But the hands of an Earth Bender instead caused the stone to crack and break apart, shattering 'Roku.' A similar fate soon befell 'Ta Min', with flame causing the statue to break apart.

"No more games!"

"But we're not even halfway done," Dr. Ru lamented.

"They may look like the originals, but they can't even bend."

"I've found ways around that."

Another two forms emerged from the sand, one of a bald man in Air Temple robes, the other of a woman, with a large whip where her left hand should be. The Air Nomad raised his hands, causing dirt to come out in a mist that blinded Tong momentarily, giving the woman time to act. The whip moved immediately, ensnaring Tong while the man drew a staff and started clubbing him in the face.

"Avatar Aang and his wife Kaatara. I think I've gotten a decent approximation of her water bending, haven't I? And his air bending for that matter."

"UGH!" 'Aang' continued to attack mercilessly as 'Kataara' held him in place, Tong struggling to stay conscious.

* * *

The rear portion of the facility didn't appear to be any different from the floor they had just left, with hallways filled with models, and a few labs that seemed empty. The whole place appeared to be more of a museum, like the one that used to stand in Omashu before it got destroyed during an Earth Kingdom/Earth Republic battle. If they had known that a creepy mad scientist was making his own version, people wouldn't have been so upset with the Omashu one being destroyed by mecha tank fire.

The problem, at least from Leena's point of view, was that while she knew what Dr. Ru was up to, she didn't know how. She didn't know how the spirits were being manipulated, how they were willing to possess statues and boxes to be released later. That and the statues of everything from political figures to celebrities to people she didn't recognize was getting…eerie. Finally, though, after walking through the hallway, she found something different.

A room that resembled a laboratory was present past the hall of statues, with the laboratory filled with cages. Inside rested spirits of various sizes and shapes, and some half completed models, but no one else. Slowly, Leena walked inside, wondering if there was anyone else here.

" **RELEASE ME AT ONCE! I AM THE SLAYER OF THE MOON! RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"**

The sheer noise of the man caused Leena to jump back as she realized the source of the yelling wasn't a man, but rather a spirit. He looked human enough, save for being transparent, but his dress and the constant fading of parts of his body identified him as a spirit.

"I AM ZHAO, SLAYER OF THE MOON! I DEMAND RELEASE, WOMAN! I WILL NOT BE CAGED, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Saying nothing to the ranting spirit, Leena began looking around for something, anything that could successfully identify what they were doing with the spirits. Finally, she found something that may have given a clue; a computer in a desk in the corner, which seemed to have various logs and other pieces of information.

"Who's there?"

From a hallway emerged two men and a woman in laboratory coats. All three appeared to be unarmed, looking up at the pale skinned woman next to the computer.

"Who are you?" one of the men asked, an obvious tone of fear in their voice. Leena smiled, focusing on having a fireball appear in each hand.

"Boo!"

The scientists all panicked and ran from the room, with a few fireballs being sent towards them to speed up the process. With the scientists fleeing for safety, she would have about five, maybe ten minutes at most before they returned with reinforcements. Placing empty cages and other materials by the door to force a barricade, she then hurriedly sat down at the computer, seeing if she could find something that would explain the things they had seen today.

The detailed logs on the experiments they were performing on spirits seemed to fit the bill. Everything from retrieval missions at the South Pole portal to obtain test samples to apparently reaching a dead end in trying to tame the more powerful spirits, hence the use of possession of models was in the logs. While the specifics were likely a fascinating read, they would have to wait.

A portable memory drive was soon plugged into the computer as she began copying materials over to it. While it did so, one particular item on the computer caught her attention.

"Merging of spirits?"

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.**

Turning around, Leena realized that the scientists from earlier had bought help. Two more possessed models, one resembling Su Huan Fun of the 58' Ice Walkers, and a man she didn't recognize, both armed with Shockers were trying to force the door open. It figured that they'd send in the drones first. Wasting no time, she hid behind a table and waited for the pair to break in. All the while, the one spirit, Zhao or whatever his name was, kept demanding release from his confines.

* * *

The fifth blow to Tong's head was causing him to feel dizzy. It was difficult to move at this point, and the pain was taking its toll. All the while he focused on moving his right arm inside the earth prison that encompassed his body save his head while 'Aang' continued his assault. Again, he charged in, ready to attack.

The sound of two blades slicing through the earth could be heard as they found their way in the stone statue's head, the first stopping the creature, the second causing part of its head to fall off. Using the distraction, Tong moved his hand through the hole the blades had created, freeing his arm and cracking the earth prison into pieces. Shaking his head, he looked on at 'Kaatara', who tried to ensnare him with another earth whip, but this time, he was ready.

A gust of wind kept the stone back as Tong focused on the dirt and stone around him. If Dr. Ru could form these statues, he could form something less complicated. Sure enough, from the ground emerged a stone hammer, large enough to be held with two hands. Taking the hammer, he leapt into the air, continuing to use the wind gusts to hold back 'Kaatara's' attempts to ensnare him. Finally, he grabbed the hammer with both hands and used it to deliver a powerful blow to the statue, causing it to shatter. The Aang statue met the same fate as Tong threw the hammer at it, using wind to accelerate the weapon before his foe could mount any sort of defense. The strike of the hammer caused the upper body to shatter, leaving only a pair of stone legs.

"ARE WE DONE?!" he shouted. No sense of sarcasm or playfulness was present, just increased rage.

"Not just yet my overly angry friend. You have one more Avatar to face."

"Her," Tong muttered with a clear sense of anger and annoyance.

"Yes, her. The True Avatar, and the one who will guide this planet into an age of enlightenment and progress. Which is why you are unnecessary."

"She's a fake."

"Does it really matter?" Dr. Ru asked, even as a statue of Korra appeared in front of him. "She has done so much good for the world, and will do something that will unite everyone. Is your worthless tradition really worth that? Or your stupid father? Or those ignorant fools at Capital City? I think we all know the answer to that."

"The answer," Tong began, "is that I'm going to kill you. Then I'm going to kill her. And then I'm going to find out who let a Korra fake into the world and kill them."

"Then you're just a murderer. Our violence has purpose. You just miss Daddy."

"Come down here and say that."

"I think not."

Next to Korra emerged a man, wearing the cape of an Avatar Affairs member with a thin moustache. Tong had no idea who the man was.

"Well, he'd find it funny," Dr. Ru mused. The two statues again ran towards Tong, attacking with fists, feet, and stone. The male drew a sword while the Korra statue was content to attack by throwing rocks and stone from a distance, forcing Tong on the offensive and preventing him from creating another weapon.

"You see the genius present here?" Dr. Ru went on. "No more humans suffering in war! No more nations at war once we enact our plans! The world will be permanently in balance! The hell with tradition!"

"And everyone suffers," Tong answered, facing down the caped man charging in with his sword. He stood still, waiting for his target.

"You won't be the strong hand that the world needs, so the world doesn't need you!"

"Neither would the real Korra," Tong answered.

* * *

The day was growing late and there was no sign of him. Perhaps he wasn't coming after all. It was maybe a bit too optimistic to hope that Awng would be convinced to start over after a single beating, hell, even two.

"Hello, do you go to Air Temple Island? I was told the sky bison flies out."

"Yeah, we do. How come?"

The voice wasn't that of Awng, but of a young man, only 15 by Shing's estimates. He looked on at the teen that appeared confused at the sight of the stranger in the coat.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"You're headed to Air Temple Island?"

"Yeah, I want to learn Air Bending and my old instructor just closed his school. He said to bring a letter to the temple for that guy Shing, from the news. The one that helped stop all those crazy spirits. Wait," he continued, "aren't you?"

"May I see it?"

"Uh, sure." Handing the envelope off, Shing opened the letter.

 _Master Shing,_

 _I want to apologize for how stupid I acted, and the disrespect that I showed you. My anger came from the fact that I felt like all the time and money I put into the Wind Razor courses was meaningless, but that was likely because it was. But please try to understand things from my perspective. You see, there was nowhere for me to learn Air Bending outside the temple, and I had a job. I couldn't just abandon everything I ever knew to join a temple. Wind Razor courses were the only alternative I had. But I realize now that they were just as bad, since they made me assume that I was a master when I clearly wasn't._

 _It's too late for me at this point to re-learn everything or to abandon my life in the Fire Nation, and to become a member of the Air Nation. However, my students still have time. I've shut down my school and plan to remove my tattoos, and have informed my students to go train at the Air Temple in Republic City if they want to truly learn Air Bending. Some can go. Some cannot._

 _I take the full blame for acting arrogant and insulting Grandmaster Ikki. In repentance, I will have the tattoos on my body forcibly removed via cosmetic surgery. Apparently there are treatments involving lasers that do that now. Furthermore, I promise that I will never teach again._

 _Please don't take my arrogance and foolishness out on my students. They were just looking for a place to learn Air Bending, and there was nowhere else to go. I only ask that you give them the recommendation you were willing to give me._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Awng, AKA Cheong Zi._

"Can I have that back?"

"Yeah," Shing answered, handing the letter back to him. "Sure."

The teen nodded, then began to load his items onto a sky bison that a rider had taken out. Shing sighed. It was true, that if one did not join the Air Nation, there was nowhere to learn Air Bending, which is why Wind Razor proved attractive to so many. When he returned, he would need to discuss with Rohan his people's art. To become commercial and sell the promise of mastery via tape wasn't the way, but neither was hiding the secrets of Air Bending from the world. There had to be a balance.

But as the sky bison flew off, Shing felt some hope that his efforts in Capital City with Awng weren't in vain. It wasn't ideal, but in some way, Shing felt he had accomplished something worthwhile.

* * *

He had been fighting with nothing but anger, and it was clear that was Dr. Ru's intention. To make him so enraged that he would slip up. No, he couldn't let that happen. Let the enemy come to him.

The mustachioed statue rose its sword over Tong, who struck with his right hand. Inside the statue, a ball of wind was formed, one that tore it apart from within, leaving only its sword. Standing, he grabbed the stone blade and faced down Korra.

"No! Not this way!" Dr. Ru yelled. "You were supposed to accept your fate! We will crush you Specialist!"

The Korra statue sunk back into the dirt, replaced by an identical statue, just four times as large! Quickly, it raised its fist and prepared to smash Tong into paste. Tong did the only thing he could.

He met the giant statue fist for fist, human and earth engaging in a test of strength; one that would be decidedly one sided had the human not been an Earth bender.

"I will crush you were you stand!" Dr. Ru yelled again. "Your ignorance of what we want to do won't matter! It never did matter! Even if you survive this, I've ensured that you will never be considered the Avatar! All the more reason to let me kill you!"

Tong ignored the threats, attempting to focus. The statue in front of him was massive, but it was beatable. Like any structure, there were weaknesses in its foundation, weaknesses he could exploit.

Sure enough, his continued pushing drove into the statue further, and soon its arm began to fall and collapse, followed by the rest of its body. The remaining rocks and stone were blown away by a gust of wind as Tong stood, alone, on the pile of dirt as Dr. Ru looked on.

"You've won nothing! Do you hear! I'll just keep making more models until you tire and fall!"

 _After you._

Turning around, Dr. Ru found himself meeting a ball of flame which burned his arms, followed by a very hard shove into the computer terminal. A pair of strong hands restrained him as he was carried downstairs, where an exhausted Tong looked on.

"Your plan worked. I was able to sneak around, and now we've got the head of the facility in Fire Nation custody."

"I should kill him right now," Tong grimaced. Leena however, was far more reasonable.

"Do that and we'll never get the true depth of what he was up to."

"I will tell you nothing," Dr. Ru mused. "Because you have no right to hold a member of Avatar Affairs in the custody of any nation!" Leena only replied to that with a malevolent grin.

"Who said they would know?"

"It's not like it matters," Dr. Ru continued. "You will obtain no information from me, and thanks to my genius, the Spirit World is closed off to you Specialist! You've met my friend, haven't you?"

Tong was livid at the comment. "That…thing was made by you?"

"Yes, but unfortunately spirit training was a dead end. But it did its job well enough. So go ahead, kill me. The world will move forward, and it doesn't need you! We've already w…"

What followed was a hard punch to Dr. Ru's bearded face from Tong, knocking him out cold. He looked on at his partner with a snide grin.

"You said I couldn't kill him. You didn't say anything about splitting his lip open."

Leena shook her head, binding the Earth bender in platinum bonds. "Let's go."

* * *

The trip back, after the 'cleanup crew' was sent in was not the triumph Tong had hoped it to be. All he could think about was the fact that his spirit world tormentor was created, not born. But how?

"You know he was just desperate."

Looking over, Tong found the smiling face of Leena sitting next to him, and slumped forward. "Yeah, but he's right. I can't access the Spirit World without that…thing he created haunting me. I'm not the Avatar."

She looked on at him, but rather than groan at another repeated statement, placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to be the Avatar right now. You just need to help stop the fake one."

"What do we do now?"

"Well I have to go back and make sure we get all the information we can out of this guy. Maybe he does know how to stop that thing he created, or at least will be willing to let us know how he was created. Meanwhile, Fire Nation Intelligence will give you some locations that should have clues towards whoever is employing our friend Dr. Ru. That should help you get closer to who killed your dad."

"So this is goodbye then?"

"You don't get rid of me that easily. I'll be around, when you need me."

He smiled at that reassurance. "Let's go back then. Whatever they're up to, the mystery won't solve itself."

* * *

Men swept the facility, finding mostly spirits, statues, and a few scientists that were detained, most noting that they were unaware as to what Dr. Ru was planning, only that he was trying to understand spirits better. The sheer amount of spirits present however, proved troubling.

"What are we going to do with all of them?"

"Drop them off at a Spirit Portal I guess."

"RELEASE ME AT ONCE! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! I AM ZHAO, THE MOON SLAYER! AND I DEMAND TO BE FREED!"

The voice continued to emanate from one of the labs long after every other scientist had been detained. None of the soldiers wanted to go inside.

"I SAID I'M ZHAO, THE SLAYER OF THE MOON! DOESN'T THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU PEOPLE?!"


	15. Production

The man sighed as he looked over the full-length mirror and the dressing room table, playing with a pro bending earth disk. He knew what he had to do, but for the first time, his thoughts were troubled.

"Are you OK?"

Next to the man emerged a woman, dressed extremely formally, looking over the suit clad man as she put a hand to his face.

"I'm fine Opal. Really."

"Fine? In all the years I've known you, you've never had that expression when you're 'fine.' You're worried."

"I just…it hit me yesterday what I've done."

"Is this about your brother? I know what he said."

"But to hear him say it," the man replied, "that hurt. 'You were always the reject?' Really? He's bitter! That's all! And it's not like I told him what he couldn't do! I didn't tell him to stay single! I didn't tell him to stay in a job that he can't stand! I didn't make him a failure!" The last line was punctuated by him throwing the disk to the ground, which caused it to crack. Finally, he sat down in the chair, slumping backwards.

"Should I have just stayed in pro-bending?" he asked.

"If you did, you wouldn't have met me you know," Opal answered with a huff.

"OK, bad example. Should I have just stayed with acting? Or stayed with local politics? I mean…this." The woman shook her head.

"You are a success. And he isn't. You can't limit yourself to make you brother feel better. He has to live with his own life. You can't let him affect you."

The man smiled, holding the woman close to him. "Thanks."

"For?"

"For reminding me why I married you."

"Well Mom always said I was the smart one." The pair laughed and exchanged a kiss while behind them, an aide walked in."

"Mr. President, it's time for your speech. The secretary is all set to introduce you."

"Well, I've got the cards in order," the man replied while straightening his tie. "Opal, shall we?"

"Of course, 'Mr. President.'"

"Still feels weird hearing you say that."

"Ok, then Bolin. Let's go."

 _AND CUT!_

* * *

Camera crews pulled away from the set as the man on set loosened his tie, muttering about 'lighting' and 'fluidity of lines.' All the while, Kushina looked on at the grey haired director, more interested in barking orders to his crew than dealing with the woman Tomorrow Technologies had sent.

"You're here about the cameras we're using right?"

"The cameras, and the vehicles we lent for the production," Kushina answered. "We have to make sure as per the contract that they're in all the shots they're supposed to be."

"That looks tacky if we don't do it subtly," the director answered. "It's bad enough I accepted a tax credit to film in the Earth Republic before I knew a freaking war was going to break out, but now I've got everyone telling me how I need to film my mover"

"Excuse me, Aarluk," a well-built man from the set interrupted, "Are you sure about these prosthetics for the face? Can't you just fix it in post?"

"Pramuk, I'm very busy with one of the sponsors right now, can it wait?"

"Fine. I'll be in my trailer when you want to talk actual movers and not just commercials," the man replied with a huff. Aarluk sighed heavily.

"The nerve of him. He stars in a few Nuktuk films during the summer and he thinks he's the second coming of Ratna! That was cheap popcorn garbage you hear!"

"Look, I heard that you're going to be doing some very complicated shots with the mecha suits you leased tomorrow. I thought that most of the battle was going to be computer generated though."

"I need actual shots to make it look good though. The Lava bender during his desperate escape from the re-education camp! We need to make sure there's realism or the audience will never buy it! It'd be like using a computer-generated rock instead of an actual one. It's tacky!"

The woman nodded while asking "So you're filming that tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's the plan, provided the fresh from training slackers known as my STAFF are up to the job! I got _Moonlight Butterfly_ done in 5 months of filming! I'm not going to let this run longer!"

The woman nodded, motioning to her two bodyguards, as they walked off. "We'll see you tomorrow then Aarluk."

"Yes, yes we will." Turning back to the crew, he shouted orders about wrapping up production. The woman meanwhile, just sighed heavily.

"Well, seems easy enough so far. Just get yelled at."

"And I just sit here, right?"

"Well, when you're on duty. When you're off duty, you can go look into that lead. What was it, the Horned Bull Bird?"

"The Black Bull Bird," Tong corrected.

"Ooooh, I've heard of him!" Shing added. "Isn't he supposed to be a super assassin that kills for money? You think Avatar Affairs hired him?"

"The Fire Nation Intelligence guys thought that was the case, yeah. So they told me to look out here."

"Which just so happens to be where my first assignment is, to ensure that TT's materials are being used, and to be in a commercial. What a coincidence." Kushina's tone was practically overflowing with sarcasm, although that wasn't what caught Tong's ear.

"Commercial? Tong asked. You didn't mention a commercial."

"It's nothing big. I'm just driving a car and then some snooty guy adds a voiceover. Real simple."

"Is it wise though?" Tong asked. "What with…"

"Look," Kushina suddenly interrupted, "you don't get to tell me how to run my life. I get enough of that crap from my dad, alright?"

"OK!" Tong answered defensively. "I was just worried!"

She sighed, saying nothing, but walked back towards the hotel where she was staying.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tong asked. Shing just shook his head.

* * *

Sitting down in her hotel room, Kushina pondered what could have been considered either a golden opportunity others would kill for, or a gilded cage. Either way, she was stuck there. But then, wasn't it always the case for her? As if to emphasize that, her phone showed six calls, all from the same number, with accompanying messages.

 _Kushina, it's Dad. What the hell happened to you? I've been trying to contact you for weeks and you haven't responded. Just…call me if you're OK. Please._

Her hands went over her face, but at the very least, he deserved to know her daughter was alive. Pressing a few buttons on the display, she picked up the phone.

"Dad? Yes, I'm fine. I actually did get…no it's a bit more complicated than that. The dojo? We've been over this! You thought I ran away or worse and the first thing you ask me about is that? You have people that can do it! I have my own life to live! Ugh, just…yeah, bye."

That went about as well as she could expect. It was always the same with her father, ever since she was a kid.

* * *

 _Dad?_

 _ **CRACK!**_

 _Ugh, my rib. OK, you win._

 _I had to. Someone important was watching._

 _Dad! That was so cool! Can you show me how you did that?_

 _That's why I bought you here today. From today on, I'm going to train you as a chi-blocking master, a deadly weapon!_

* * *

That's how it started. And at the time it was the most awesome thing in the world, training with Dad, the renowned Master Tae Chun, learning every secret he had to offer. Hell, there were days where he would keep her late after a lesson just to show a new technique he was developing and to see her reaction. When did it all go wrong?

Brooding about it wasn't going to answer that question. Maybe some tea would help. She didn't bother to call her two 'bodyguards', wanting to have some time alone to process her thoughts.

* * *

The teashop looked fairly nice from the outside, with tables on the patio as well as an inviting exterior. Normally the inside would match, if not for the three thugs harassing a certain customer.

"I said we wanted the money for…insurance. We tried talking to the studio, but they weren't receptive. Now we're talking to you. Problem?"

"I'm an actor, not the producer! I can't get you your money!"

"You're pretty well-off. Sure you could. And I know just how."

"Wait, please! Let's be reasonable! I'm just trying to make a living in this hole, same as you."

"We are. Ever hear the saying, 'a pound of flesh'?"

One of the thugs accented the last point by drawing a knife, causing the man to scream in terror. All three were so focused on holding the man down that they were ignorant to the one person willing to stand up to them.

"HA!"

A powerful kick from Kushina dropped the first thug, while the second was stunned with an elbow and then thrown to the ground, giving their victim time to run away. The third pulled his knife, only to meet the barrel of a Shocker.

"Here's another saying for you. 'Never bring a knife to a gun fight.'"

"You're dead Pramuk, you hear me!" the man shouted as he dropped the knife and ran. "DEAD!"

As the trio of goons ran off, Kushina looked towards the panicked man, recognizing him from the set earlier.

"Pramuk?"

"You…you're the representative from TT, right?" he began. "You saved my life! I don't know what they did to my bodyguards, but you have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Who were those guys?" she asked.

"Local triad that entrenched itself here when the war broke out. We're pretty far away from the front lines and the government SAYS they're protecting us, but restrictions and the like have let thugs like that thrive."

"Something else to watch out for," she lamented. Pramuk however, didn't share her grim demeanor.

"I need to thank you properly, such a lovely young woman coming to save me. I'm going to be headed back to the set to film the afternoon's scenes, but what about afterwards you and I grab dinner? There are some rather nice restaurants in this town."

"I'm flattered," she answered, nodding. "What time do you expect to finish?"

* * *

"You did WHAT?!" Tong yelled. Kushina just shook her head.

"You act like I can't take care of myself."

"Last time I checked," Tong replied, "I was hired as a bodyguard. That means I'm supposed to protect you!" Kushina shook her head.

"You're adorable when you get all angry and dedicated, but I'm fine, OK? We both know why you were hired, so focus on that, and I'll focus on my date tonight."

"You're dating Pramuk," he answered, not so much a question as it was a re-statement of facts.

"Yes, he was nice enough after earlier to ask me out to dinner. A 'thank you.' Why do you care?"

"Well…what if those gangsters attack again?" he asked.

"Then I'll do the same thing I did to them earlier." Smiling, she walked off, adding "And I think we'll be just fine on our own." Tong was set to protest, but thought better of it. All the while Shing looked on, smiling as everyone went to their places on the set.

"Jealous?"

"…Wh…no! It's not that," Tong answered. "I'm just worried, with the gangsters running around, and all the other nonsense. It feels like this job has bought out the worst in her. Or maybe," he sighed, looking at the set, "that was me."

"Don't think about it too much," Shing advised. "You can't protect everybody. They need to live their own lives."

"Yeah, I guess," Tong answered, looking on at the set.

* * *

The Fire Bender had just drank another glass of liquor from the clear bottle, looking on at his guest. "So I did?! What do you care?"

"Mako, I know you and Bolin have had your differences, but supporting Yoshida in the presidential race? Really?"

"It's my professional opinion," Mako answered, drinking another glass as he explained, "that my brother is not the correct man for the job. And I'd go on TV and tell the world if I was Chief of Police and not some lousy detective."

"He's your brother and my friend. And so are you. Everyone is worried about…"

"YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ME ASAMI!" Mako yelled as he stood to his feet. "YOU NEVER DID! HE NEVER DID! NOW GET OUT!"

Asami Sato looked, shaking her head, headed for the door, before adding, "I did once. But the man I did care about is long gone."

Mako's hands trembled as he looked on at the glass, as well as a newspaper article with his brother on it. The words "Actor, hero, President?" emblazoned the headline. The second article on his desk infuriated him even more. A picture of Asami kissing Korra on the lips in full view of the public.

"If you loved me so much, then why did you decide to live with Korra?!" he asked no one in particular. His rage turned to sobs as he asked "Why did you take her away from me? You could have had any man or woman, and you took her from me!"

 _CUT!_

"Was that too melodramatic?"

"It's perfect! Remember, you're playing a man completely broken by rejection! Hatred and blame are the only things keeping him going! He blames everyone and everything for his problems except the one person who's actually at fault. Himself."

"If you say so."

"OK, so the next scene, I really need that glass thrown. Just as hard as possible. Got it?"

"Sure."

* * *

When an actor takes someone out to dinner, he doesn't spare any effort in impressing them. That was Kushina's first thought as she looked on at the restaurant, with everything about the place screaming "fancy" from the décor to the soft lighting to the music to the prices on the menu. For his part, Pramuk played the role of a suave celebrity to the hilt.

"You never saw _Armor Hunter?"_

"I heard of it, but no," Kushina answered.

"Well, that was my first major break in television. I mean, come on, you had to at least seen the poster. Me, with the huge sniper rifle? My agent said those things sold like crazy."

"So you started in television?"

"Yeah. I didn't really get into movers until _Heart of Stone_. Tell me you saw that at least."

"That I did see," she answered. " _The Flying Fist_ , that was you too, right?"

"Yeah, but I never liked that one as much," he answered. "That's actually why I'm here. I wanted to do a more serious role after the _Nuktuk_ remakes."

"Even if it drags you out to a small town in a country at war?"

"Well away from the front lines, may I remind you," Pramuk shot back. "The only mecha tanks in the area are the ones on the set, and the four or so that the security company is apparently bringing in after that horror show earlier."

"Really. So, why Bolin?"

Pramuk smiled. "You mean besides our clear resemblance?" he asked, imitating a photo of the former Earth Republic president from his younger years as he held it aloft on his cell phone. "He was such a fascinating historical figure. Someone who came from nothing, and went on to do practically everything. Pro-bending, acting, fighting in the war, more acting, politics, he was a true pioneer. I hope…to capture just a bit of that genius."

"I'm sure you will."

"And you my dear? How did you end up as a brand rep?"

"Well I was originally…"

She stopped, looking out the window, seeing a faint flicker of light. The fact that he was doing this was inexcusable.

"Could you excuse me for a moment?"

"Certainly."

Walking out of the restaurant, Kushina's fears were confirmed. A man was sitting on a bench on a street opposite the restaurant, holding a phone and taking photos.

"What did I tell you about leaving me alone?"

"I'm your bodyguard, remember?"

"You're a royal pain in my…"

"I don't want you to get hurt. And besides, you have plenty of privacy. I'm not a child. I'm not spying on you or anything."

"So what's on that phone then?" she asked, looking over. As she looked on, she saw photos of her and Pramuk over dinner.

"Really?"

"It's work related."

"Go home. If you're still here the next time I come out, I'm going to see to it that you're fired."

"You know they won't do that," Tong replied before getting up.

"You're right. Because now I'm tethered to you just like he wants me tethered to that dojo!" Kushina gasped, covering her mouth in shock. For his part however, Tong was polite.

"I'll show myself out. Enjoy your date." With that, he walked off, while Kushina could only think back to her father. The images echoed in her mind throughout the rest of her date.

* * *

 _I was going to tell you after the graduation tomorrow, but I'm so proud of you that I need to tell you now. I have chosen you as this school's heir._

 _Dad, I got a scholarship to South Republic. Why are you telling me this now?_

 _Because we both knew that you weren't going to accept it. This is your destiny. You are my greatest student, and as such, you will be this school's heir._

 _Uh, no. I'm not. I'm going to University, and I'm going to become an engineer. You know, like I've been saying for a while now._

 _But…the family. This school is my legacy, and you're the only one I trust with it. What would your mother say?_

 _I think Mom would want me to be happy! Don't you?_

 _And this wouldn't make you happy? You love chi-blocking!_

 _Yeah, but I don't see myself making a living out of it. And I love building things just as much. That's why I want to be an engineer._

 _I can't stop you from going to University, but once you're done, you're going to realize that you were wrong. That you wasted four years. But go on, go._

 _But Dad…_

 _No go on. You know so much, go out there and be wrong. You'll see. Go._

* * *

Aaraluk noticed the rather somber mood from the Tomorrow Technologies rep and her entourage but paid it no mind. He was outside, focused on what would be an incredibly complex scene to film. By the forest on the outdoor set were six mecha suits, all with the actors and stunt crew inside. Outside the perimeter, as Pramuk promised, were four Ox mecha tanks, a visual promise from the security company that they wouldn't let anything like yesterday happen again.

"Now remember, these mecha suits are ON LOAN! They belong to a private collector and if anything happens to them, the cost is coming out of everyone's checks! The actual destruction shots for the suits are going to be done in post! Now when I give the order, you're going to move like we rehearsed, got it?"

The crew all acknowledged the orders as Aaraluk sat down in the director's chair, looking at the feeds from the various cameras. "And…action!"

The simulated battle began as explosions went off by the mecha suits, just close enough to be realistic, but not close or powerful enough to cause any serious damage to the restored antiques.

"That's not the flame-thrower! What idiot designed these things?!"

"You did sir!"

"Less lecturing, more saving my life!"

The battle continued as the Earth benders responsible for effects began moving rocks to make it appear as if Pramuk himself was doing it. Everything appeared in order until one suit went right for Pramuk, completely out of sync.

"Cut! Cut! #3, what are you doing?"

Kushina, Tong, and the guards all looked up as they saw the suit raise its arm, aiming its flamethrower at Pramuk. He realized the implications of what was happening and began moving back.

"That mecha suit's been hijacked!"


	16. Performance

The onlookers were stunned as the mecha suit prepared to execute Pramuk. He silently sat and waited for a fiery end.

 **PING!**

A lone Shocker bolt bounced off the suit, grazing it. The pilot, distracted, turned his attention to the woman who fired it, pointing a pistol right at the suit.

"And just what did you think you could do to me with a pistol?"

"Get your attention."

The two men next to her began to move rapidly, sending an air bent gust of wind right at the antique, causing it to fly well away from the threatened actor. As security and the Earth benders responsible for the effects moved in, the pilot ran off.

"We're gonna have your head unless you pay up! You hear me?"

The mecha suit continued to head off the stage until two of the Ox mecha-tanks came in to intercept. The saboteur was un-deterred however, firing his flamethrower at the two machines. Unfortunately, said flames had little effect on the war machines, which both raised their Shocker cannons to finish the job.

"Hold your fire!" Aaraluk yelled. "That thing's an antique!"

The distraction was all that the pilot needed to get away, exiting the mecha tank and running into the forest. Security gave chase on foot while the two tank pilots looked over at the director.

"Is everyone OK?"

"Who the hell was that?" an extra asked.

"I believe," Pramuk answered, "that the studio has had some unfortunate dealings with gangsters. They've shifted focus from harassing the executives to harassing me. But this…"

"Yeah," Kushina continued, "they're getting pretty bold."

"I won't let some thugs delay this mover!" Aaraluk announced. "Everyone, take an hour, get security TIGHT, but this scene needs to be filmed today! We're burning daylight as it is!"

Although flustered, the crew agreed, and the Earth benders already began setting up the landscape for the following take. Sighing as he went over to Kushina, Pramuk adjusted his hair and smiled.

"That's the second time in two days you've saved my life. I believe that I owe you another dinner."

"A second date already?" Kushina asked, wearing a coy smile. "I'm flattered." She looked over to her two bodyguards, neither showing any emotion towards the announcement save for the blush on Tong's face.

"Then how about 7? We should wrap up by then."

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

The browned haired Earth Republic man ran through the forest, finally confident he had lost his pursuers. With no one else around to follow him, the man headed for a warehouse where a group of men in sleeveless jackets were all waiting for him. A particular man, wearing a gruff demeanor to go with his graying beard and bald head, looked on at the thug.

"Well?"

"He's being protected!"

"We know that!"

"No, that broad from the other day! She's protecting him! Had two air benders with her!"

"Did you say…Air Benders?"

The man looked on at the leader of group and nodded. "What of it?"

"We've gotten some guys asking around about a woman travelling with two Air benders. Said they'd pay pretty well if we knew where they were."

"You think they're the ones?"

"Can't hurt to ask. The money they wanted to pay would be pretty good and the studio hasn't paid us yet, right? What did they look like?"

* * *

"You're jealous."

"I'm an adult," Tong repeated, even as Shing looked on at him.

"You're jealous that she's going out with an actor and doesn't want you there. Come on, admit it."

"No," Tong answered flatly. "I am not jealous, and if she doesn't want me to protect her, that's fine. She's an adult."

Sitting down on the seats by the set as Kushina was looking over some paperwork concerning a car TT loaned for the scene, Shing shook his head at his friend.

"You're a very bad liar, you know that?"

Tong didn't answer, instead, the sound of the rain machine for the scene echoed through the set.

* * *

Walking out of the car, he saw his brother standing alone, wearing a trench coat in the midst of the rain. The docks were a fairly isolated place at this hour, free of reporters, of paparazzi, and of the well-wishers who had followed him in the few days since the results of the election hit.

"Mako. You came."

The black haired man looked on at his brother with an expression of pure disdain. "I did. You want to rub it in my face?"

"Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I'm pretty sure that my security team has snipers on the roofs of buildings by here. So please, can we talk about this like adults?"

"Adults?" Mako asked, his tone of voice filled with disgust. "That's rich coming from a manchild like you. Or should I say, 'President Manchild'?"

"Mako."

"How can an entire country be so stupid? I spent nearly every cent I had, called in every connection I've made, and they still, STILL voted for you. How?"

"I want to help people," Bolin answered. "I want to help you."

"You could have helped by going into a ditch and dying." Bolin was visibly taken aback by the statement, but said nothing.

"I was the hero. This should have been perfect. We save the world, I make Chief of Police, I marry the girl I love, you make everyone laugh while you do whatever, and the world is happy. Instead, I'm alone, and you're in a job you are not qualified to do." It was then that Bolin realized the truth.

"This has never been about me, has it? It's about her. Them. You never did get over them, did you?"

"Do you have any idea how it felt for them to abandon me…for each other?! To be told that anything I said to either of them was interfering with 'pure love' and that I was horrible for even thinking it?! How I felt when I tried to run her out of business, only for her to come right back and make another one? Why do you get to be happy? Why doesn't everyone look over all of your mistakes? You allied yourself with a megalomaniac for crying out loud!"

"I learned. Atoned. You never accepted that."

"I was supposed to have the happy ending! I was the hero!"

"And if you couldn't be happy, then your idiot brother couldn't be happy either, right?"

"I'm going to kill you right now, and then no one's happy," Mako answered, raising his hand in the rain.

"Mako, don't! The sniper!"

Bolin wasted no time, pushing his brother over the edge of the dock into the water. Luckily the sniper didn't fire. Looking on from inside the water, his brother shot him a death glare and then swam off. By where he stood, a picture, a drawing, likely kept inside Mako's trench coat, was lying on the ground. Looking at it, it was clear what the cause of all his rage was. He sighed heavily, and then returned to the car.

"Bolin! Are you OK?"

"I'm fine Opal," he answered, looking at the drawing in his hand.

"What's that?"

"Something that will never be true, no matter how many drawings are made of it." Looking over, Opal saw the drawing, and understood why Mako had been so miserable all these years.

It was a drawing of a much younger Mako and Korra, each holding a child.

It was the family neither of them would ever have.

 _CUT! THAT WAS BRILLIANT! NOW LET'S DO SOME CLOSE UPS OF THE DRAWING!_

 _You don't think anyone could be that miserable a human being in real life, do you?_

 _Says the guy jealous that his girl is dating an actor._

 _Dammit Shing!_

* * *

"This time we won't be interrupted."

"I hope not," Pramuk answered, sitting in front of the table at the restaurant. Unlike the previous night, the accommodations were more modest, but also a bit friendlier, with crowds of people talking and a bright ambiance enhancing the food and drinks being served. "We were just getting to the really good part of your story when we had to leave. Now, why engineering? And how did that get you here?"

"I wanted to create something that would outlast me," she began. "Something that everyone could use. To have one of my designs for a car or a mecha-tank being used the world over, it'd be like there was a little of me in every machine. In a weird way, I'd be affecting the entire world. My creativity, out there for all to see. Sure, this is a little…detour, but it works."

"You can build, you can talk, you can fight, what can't you do?" he asked.

"Act," she answered. "Bend. I'm not much of a writer either."

The last remark caused Pramuk to suppress a laugh as he looked on at her date. "But you make up for it in presence! I'll admit I'm not much of a screenwriter either, at least not yet."

"You never wrote?"

"I can't create something that strikes that artistic chord the way some of the roles I've chosen have. Some of the real roles, not the more commercialized ones. Hopefully that changes."

"Besides, my dad isn't exactly a fan of my career path," she continued, remembering her conversation with her father the day prior.

"Mine wasn't either. He thought I wouldn't make it, wanted me to be in 'da computers' as he called it."

"Did he ever change his mind?"

Pramuk nodded. "I know when I saw him put a Nuktuk action figure in his study. He came around when he realized that I was doing what I wanted to, and that it wasn't a pipe dream. I think your father will too."

"Thank you," was her only response.

The pair continued to talk until Pramuk suggested they grab dessert at a local teashop, given the quality of their pastries as opposed to the restaurants. The pair walked out, laughing as their talk turned towards more mundane topics, like other actors in the business, the biggest jerk on set, and ideas for things that Kushina wanted to build.

They were so enamored in their conversation that neither noticed the bolas behind them, wrapping them up. Before either could scream, two powerful strikes, one to each of their heads, rendered them unconscious.

"We've got them. Bringing them back to the safe zone now."

* * *

Tong paced back and forth in the hotel room, desperately trying to convince himself of something. So far, he was failing. Dinner, television, and other distractions of the schedule all failed in keeping his mind off of her.

"She doesn't need me there. I'm not jealous. She is more than capable of taking care of herself. I am not Mako. I am not Mako. I am not Mako."

After the tenth self-assertion that Tong was in fact, not Mako, a knock on his door was heard. Opening it, he found the bellhop holding a letter.

"I was told to deliver this to this room immediately. The person downstairs said it was urgent."

Thanking the bellhop, Tong read the letter, his face filling with rage as he did so.

"Specialist, we have your woman and the actor Pramuk. Come to the warehouse on the outskirts of…dammit, I knew I should have been there!" Crumpling the letter in his hands, he ran to Shing's room, where the Air Bender was engaging in meditation. At least he was until Tong's furious knocking interrupted him. Questioning why he appeared so worried, Tong pointed out the letter, more specifically, the odd marking that was used as a signature.

"There was a pattern that those thugs from Republic City wore on their uniforms. Same one."

"The Youxia of Vaatu, right?"

"And they want me to walk into a trap, which wouldn't have happened if I was just there!" His frustration evident, Shing patted his shoulder.

"Look, I've got a plan, but we need to go back and call the studio. We're going to need to borrow one of the mecha tanks."

Tong's eyes went wide. "You're not thinking…"

"I'm not going to kill anyone if that's what you're wondering. But trust me on this one."

"What makes you think they'll say yes?"

"Easy. Tell them that the lead actor's been kidnapped and the security company is going to be blamed entirely for the failure to protect him unless they move."

* * *

"Ugh…"

Vision returned to Kushina's eyes as she realized she was tied up in metal bonds, Pramuk next to her on two metal chairs. In front of them, a bald man with a thick beard was talking to what appeared to be a masked woman.

"You think he'll take the bait?"

"He will," she answered. And as soon as he walks in, we leave nothing to chance. Your men will gang up on him while mine restrain him. Simple, right?"

"And then we get paid. I like it."

"Good."

"She's waking up," a man announced, as both the man and the masked woman looked on at their prisoner.

"W…who are you?"

"Your memory is pretty poor," the woman responded. "You don't remember me?"

"Yeah," a man added, pointing to a table where her weapons were laying. "You only stole my two favorite pistols!"

She looked at the mask and suddenly recognized her captors. "Republic City!"

"Yes, and we're still after your friend. Who's probably heading here now to rescue you."

"Tong! You…MMMPH!"

Any profanities from Kushina were muffled via the use of a gag over her mouth. Around her, men and women ran into position, prepared to deal with the impending intrusion.

"No more taking chances," the woman yelled, the other masked associates of hers hiding in the shadows. "When he goes through that door, freeze him with the water #3, while you secure him in the metal coffin #4. We'll have him back in Republic City by morning."

That was when they heard the sound of an engine rapidly approaching the building. One of the lookouts appeared absolutely terrified.

"Boss!"

"What is it?"

"It's a freaking mecha tank! Two of them! And they're heading right for us!"

Members of the gang rang outside, throwing everything at the tanks that they could, but rocks and small arms fire were ineffective in stopping the machines running full speed into the building. They soon did the logical thing and ran as far as their legs could take them as the building was rammed, leaving two massive holes in the warehouse. From behind the two machines, Tong and Shing emerged, ready to deal with the kidnappers.

"Get them!" the woman shouted, while pointing at her men. "You two, get the hostage out of here!"

"Oh no you don't!" Tong yelled as he moved in on the woman, only for her to respond with a flurry of chi-blocking attacks, which he was barely able to dodge. He did his best to fend her off with fire and pillars of earth, all which she expertly dodged. Thankfully for him, the two tank pilots didn't stand still, firing into the crowd with the metal repeater guns on their torso, nailing several of the gangsters.

"Draw them off!" she yelled. One of the other masked man, holding a bladed staff, swung it right at the mecha tanks, creating a blade of wind that sliced the cannon of the machine in half. Undeterred however, it continued firing its smaller gun into the crowd.

"Hey!" the leader of the gangsters yelled in the midst of the violence. "I need that hostage!"

"Our partnership has been concluded," the woman answered. "We delivered the actor, it's your job to secure him!"

While dodging the mecha tank fire, Tong, in the midst of the confusion, reached both Kushina and Pramuk in the back of the room. Hurriedly, he removed the gag.

"OK, stand still, I'm going to try to remove these bonds."

"ABOVE YOU!"

The man with the bladed staff dove straight down, hoping to strike Tong dead with said blade. With seconds to spare, a massive dome of earth formed above the trio, blocking the blade and the man's descent.

"Tong…"

"I told you before," Tong answered, even as began removing the bonds from both Kushina and Pramuk, "that I'm gonna protect you no matter what."

For a brief moment, the pair's eyes gazed into each other, as if they reached a deeper understanding of the other's struggles. The moment was over all too soon, however, as the blade of the masked man began to cut through the dome. Cutting through it, Tong quickly moved both Kushina and Pramuk out of the way, creating walls of earth to delay, if not stop the bladed staff of this new Air Bender.

"Go!" he shouted. "Get behind the tanks!" Pramuk wasted no time, following a wall earth bent up to save him, while Kushina ran in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting my guns back," she answered matter-of-factly. However, one of the masked men, armed with a carbine, took aim at Kushina. Luckily for her, before he could fire, a powerful gust of wind tossed him to the side, allowing her to collect her weapons.

"Shing!"

"Yeah I'm still here AAAH!"

A torrent of water pushed the Air Bender back into the wall of the warehouse, leaving him frozen to it by a block of ice. The woman who put him there began slashing at the two mecha with a water whip, hoping to accomplish the same effect.

Both Kushina and Tong ran towards Shing, only to be interrupted by both the chi-blocker and the man with the bladed staff, respectively. Fire drove them back temporarily, when the sudden sound of sirens blaring interrupted the battle.

"What the?"

"You didn't think I was going to come here outnumbered, did you?"

"Cops! Bail!" was the refrain from the gangsters, throwing down their weapons and running for the nearest exit. The masked assailants had a different plan in mind, heading outside to where a heavily armored helicopter was waiting, its engines already running. All six ran inside the passenger compartment as it took to the skies, Tong and Kushina in pursuit.

"What the…?"

"We'll have to settle things another time Specialist," the woman declared before heading inside. "But trust me, you have NOT seen the last of us!"

To prove her point, rockets from two launchers on the side of the vehicle began firing at the warehouse, forcing the pair to run for their lives and take cover behind an earth bent wall. The distraction was successful, as the helicopter flew away well before the police arrived. Briefly, Tong thought of taking Shing's staff to pursue them, but thought better of it, instead checking on his frozen friend.

"I'm just fine," Shing announced as the pair got close. "Now get me down!"

"Sure." Placing his hand on the ice, Tong allowed the heat to slowly melt it, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Oof!"

"Better?"

"Slightly," Shing answered.

* * *

"Most of the members of that gang were caught in their big retreat, including their leader," one of the security officers announced to the director. "They won't bother you again."

"Nevertheless, I want round-the-clock security on all my actors. We've suffered too many delays as it is."

"I understand Aaraluk."

On the set, Kushina looked over at Pramuk, still shaken from the ordeal in the morning. For obvious reasons, the crew elected to take the day off so everyone could settle, although the workaholic Aaraluk did use the opportunity to film the driving of TT's newest vehicle, just to get the commercial out of the way. With her film debut out of the way, she turned to the actor she had gotten to know.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just fine," he answered. "I'm lucky your bodyguard was there."

"So was I," she answered. "Unfortunately, this means that we're going to be on our way soon."

"It's a shame," Pramuk answered. "You're going to miss us filming the big assassination scene. And I was just getting to know you better. Such a lovely, talented young woman…"

"Please stop," Kushina interrupted. "I'm going to blush."

"But it's true. Alas, you're spoken for."

"W…what?"

"It takes a very special kind of person to say they'll protect you no matter what. But it's just as well," he explained. "Bolin was always unlucky in love, at least at first."

"Now you're just being melodramatic."

"Blame the director." Both laughed at the joke as Pramuk handed her a card. "If you're ever around, let's meet up."

"Sounds like a plan."

Walking away with a smile, she looked at Tong and Shing, smiling.

"What was all that about?"

"I'll tell you when you grow up," she answered with a grin. Tong just shook his head.

"What's with her?" Shing asked.

"Star struck I bet."

"Not quite," Kushina answered. "Now let's get going. There's someone we need to meet close by here, right?"


	17. They Who Know Ten Billion Things

Men and women were constantly moving throughout the halls of the facility. Although sparsely decorated on the outside, the logos of the Fire Nation both inside and out made it clear who owned the building. Less clear was what it was used for, only that it was connected to government intelligence.

Inside the building, its occupants knew what the building was used for. It was one of the largest intelligence gathering fortresses in the Fire Nation, isolated on a small island so as not to attract excessive attention (a clear advantage of the Fire Nation's island geography). Inside one of the briefing rooms, in front of a television, a well-built man with black hair and fair skin, dressed in a red and black Fire Nation uniform, addressed his charge.

"Leena, the man you captured has been reluctant to talk…for the most part. However, he has mentioned something that has given all of us pause."

"What's that?" Leena asked while adjusting her military uniform, a similar red and black hue to her superior officer's.

"The 'library of ten billion things'. We've had suspicions of a massive Avatar Affairs facility where they're keeping an obscene amount of information, but we've never been able to find it. Our sources say that this installation may be one of the largest sources of intelligence on the entire planet, having detailed files on every single nation and countless citizens."

"Sounds like the old legend of what…The Spirit Library?"

"If this facility truly exists, it would make the Spirit Library look like a elementary classroom bookshelf. Which is why his information on it is so concerting."

"What has he said?"

"That he doesn't know the location, but there are specific facilities which keep the information of its whereabouts on hand."

"So…he's spinning a fairy tale," Leena scoffed. "What's next, he knows where to find a lion turtle aquarium?"

"He identified a facility where the information is being kept, one which is scheduled to have visitors in the next few days."

The television screen turned on, showing a rather nice looking three story building in what appeared to be an Earth Kingdom city, judging by the architecture and people walking by it.

"This is the Earth Kingdom branch of Avatar Affairs, located, of course, in Ba Sing Se. They are hosting the Avatar herself and Emperor Xing for talks about having Avatar Affairs formally backing the Earth Kingdom in the war. "

"My cover to infiltrate, correct?"

"Exactly. You are to go undercover as a member of a mediator group from the Spirit Overseer Authority. Once in the building, find out where the location of that installation is and bring it back here."

"Understood."

"You're already aware of all the other issues, namely that we will disavow any evidence of your existence if captured."

"So when do I leave?"

"Six hours. Your dossier is at your desk."

* * *

The chamber in the otherwise open Northern Air Temple was dark, illuminated only by several sets of candles. Inside, three acolytes, only one with the tattoos of a master, all looked on at a figure cloaked in shadow. The acolytes were well aware that this was the otherwise jovial Grandmaster Nam-Ka. If she had summoned them to the Lightless room, as it was called, the matter was urgent.

"Normally I don't do this, but a friend from the Republic City Air Temple has called in a favor."

"Favor?" began the tattooed woman, a teen with short brown hair and light skin, barely visible in the candlelight. "What kind of favor?"

"It concerns a schism within the White Lotus," Nam-Ka answered. "We believe that the answers to many things, including the murder of Grandmaster Jinora, are being held in one place."

"Gran-Gran's murderer?" the second girl asked, another teenager, her brown hair held up in two buns.

"Countless things."

"How does he know it about it?" the third acolyte asked, a bald headed teenager, who although younger then the two girls by his side, appeared twice as cocky.

"Because he's been doing research and following up on every lead, every friend that the Air Nation has. This investigation of his has finally borne fruit."

"So who do we kill?"

Nam-Ka's reaction to that was to leap from the chair she was seated on and grab the bald-headed boy by the neck, tossing him to the ground. Despite the wrinkles in her skin, her grip was as forceful as a woman half her age.

 **"NOT EVEN IN JEST AMIT!"**

"Sorry," the man replied. "I was joking, you know that, right?"

"It's not a matter to be joked about. You keep saying you believe yourself ready to earn your tattoos, yet you make light of the things we hold most sacred."

"So then," the oldest girl asked, "what is our mission?"

"Mi Hee, your mission is simple. Infiltrate an Avatar Affairs building in the Ba Sing Se and retrieve the location of this place where the Avatar holds her secrets."

"Are you sure we're up for this?" the second girl asked.

"You are Tashi," Nam-Ka answered. "You three have shown great talent but have something to prove. And in a situation like this, I trust you will deliver."

"Works for me," Amit answered. "When do we leave?"

* * *

"Presenting his eminence, Emperor Xing!"

Emerging from the limousine in the center of the motorcade was a man in his late 30's, clad in green and black robes decorated with the emblem of the Earth Kingdom, a green circle with a clear square in the center. By his side were men cloaked in green robes wearing large circular hats, the traditional dress of the Dai Lee. The members of the Dai Lee ensured that there was a considerable distance between Xing and the members of the press.

In front of the lavish looking building was a dark skinned woman appearing to be in her mid-40's, surrounded by her entourage. Her blue and green military uniform was only accented by the cape that flowed behind it. The exchange between the pair was pleasant, although seeped in formality.

"Avatar Korra," the emperor began. "I am so glad to finally see you again after all this time."

"And I you Emperor. We have much to discuss, do we not?"

"Yes, but we should do so inside. I believe a formal banquet was arranged before we may speak in private?"

"The usual. Although my staff handled the catering."

"Lucky for me then. Now I know the food will be good!" the emperor responded with a smile, walking inside the building. The pair and their entourages soon entered into a grand ballroom, designed for accommodating large parties of guests. Foods of every sort, from small vegetables to cut meats were present on the tables in the back as guests mingled.

"So, Emperor, have you thought about my proposal?"

"It is…ambitious to say the least," Xing responded. "However, the situation and the fact that we are vilified among the nations and the United Republic ensures that we won't be getting support from elsewhere. This…however goes far beyond the rebellion, doesn't it?"

"Significantly so," Korra answered. "I understand if you want to take your time thinking about it, but keep in mind that, by your own admittance, your army can't hold Earth Republic territory indefinitely without our help."

"And you arrive just as word comes of the Earth Republic planning a major offensive against Ba Sing Se. Your timing is impeccable as usual."

Men and women both approached the Avatar and the Emperor with various questions, most of which were politely answered with politically correct terms such as "We're looking into the matter", or "Our investigations are ongoing." One particular woman, however, caught Korra's attention, a bespectacled Fire Nation woman in a black bandage dress, holding what appeared to be a metal briefcase. The dress however, wasn't what caught Korra's attention.

"My, you're tall." The woman stood four inches taller than Korra, looking down at many of the people at the party.

"I get that a lot," the woman replied with a chuckle, extending her hand. "Makoto Hino. I'm with the Spirit Overseer Authority. We've been looking at various facilities associated with Avatar Affairs after that…incident in the Fire Nation a few weeks back."

"The attack on Capital City?" Korra asked. "That was so horrible to hear. All those people and spirits, in senseless loss."

"I'm aware. Which is why we've been so active lately. Do you have any statement to make on that?"

"Just that Avatar Affairs does not condone the use of spirits as weapons in any capacity."

The woman smiled, and then excused herself. As Korra returned to mingling with the other guests, she failed to notice the Fire Nation girl mutter "Sure you do" or see her sneak out of the ballroom into the hallway, removing her glasses as she did so. Motioning to a small device on her ear, she pressed a lone button twice.

"I'm in."

 _Then get to work while the party is still going on._

"Understood."

* * *

The various skyscrapers and other buildings provided good cover for the trio of Air Benders as they landed on the roof of the building. Their grey and black wingsuits blended into the stone of the building, the trio unnoticed by the guards.

"OK, here's the plan," Mi Hee began. "We make our way to the basement where the computer servers are, find the coordinates of this place they're keeping all their information, and then RUN. We'll sneak aboard a train, which passes over a small canyon on its way to Republic City, and at the canyon, we dive off. A man with a sky bison will be waiting to ferry us back to the Northern Air Temple."

"Easy enough," Amit answered.

"Avoid unnecessary conflict Amit. If you have to knock someone out, put the body somewhere where they won't find it. We need to sneak out before security knows we're here."

Both Amit and Tashi nodded, and then began moving across the building, looking for a way in.

* * *

Despite the rather lively party and talks on the main floor, the lower levels were still guarded well enough. In particular, the office of the director (the acting head of the facility when the Avatar and her inner circle were not in) was actually in the basement rather than the top floor. Leena assumed it was for security reasons but paid it no mind.

What she did pay mind to were the trio of guards that constantly patrolled the hallways. Sneaking past them was annoying but doable, although she worried that one of them would look where they weren't supposed. Her heels were neatly placed inside the briefcase she had bought inside, replaced with far more comfortable running shoes designed to be as quiet as possible.

The cubicles themselves that made up the office were empty, presumably because the staff was so focused on the events upstairs. All the easier to sneak around. With that in mind, she soon found herself at the main office, neatly isolated in a corner of the floor, with one guard surrounding it.

"Excuse me."

"W…ugh!"

The guard was quickly dropped with a powerful blow to the stomach, followed by a knee to the face. Hoisting him over her shoulder, the dress-clad woman went inside the office and tossed the unconscious body in a closet meant for files. With him out of the way, she began to access the computer in the office, looking for something, anything that would point to the location of this repository of knowledge.

* * *

"You call that quiet?"

"No one knows we're coming!"

"Only because," Tashi answered even as she threw an unconscious guard inside a coat closet, "you knocked out about six of them!"

"Still not bothering us, right?" Amit replied, throwing the last body inside and shutting the closet. Mi Hee couldn't help but shake her head.

"You're both about as stealthy as a herd of elephant mandrills! Now keep your heads down! We need to find the main office!"

With most of the guards incapacitated and out of sight, the trio continued to move through the empty office space, finally happening upon an office marked "Director". The trio, avoiding the two still conscious guards patrolling the section of the building, walked inside the unlocked office. Unfortunately for them, they found someone waiting for them.

"G…huh?"

"Uh…"

The tall woman quickly raised her hand as if to shoot off a fireball while all three Air Benders assumed fighting stances. The woman's eyes focused on the machine in front of her, waiting for a signal.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

"We could ask you the same question," Mi Hee answered. "You're not supposed to be here, are you?"

"Neither are you."

The light on a small item attached to the computer stopped blinking, causing the woman to grab it, place it in her briefcase, and try to head for the door. Unfortunately for her, the trio of Air Benders stood firm.

"I'm going to warn you once. Move."

"Not a chance," Amit replied. "We want the location of where Avatar Affairs is hiding their secrets."

"We have a mutual enemy," the woman responded. "Just let me out, and it's all yours," she continued, even as she moved towards the door.

"And why should we trust you?" Tashi asked.

"You're new to this business kid," the woman answered. "If a guard sees us and our cover is blown, odds are the only way you're leaving Ba Sing Se is in a body bag. This is what us professionals call "an unscheduled inconvenience."

The door creaked open as the three stood there, not moving, but not saying anything either, only for all four of them to come in direct view of a guard. It was then that Amit regretted not knocking this one out too. How was he supposed to know someone else was spying on the building.

"AHHH!"

The guard panicked and ran for an alarm. The woman shot a fireball at the man but it was too late, the switch pulled and the loud noise of the alarm rang throughout the entire building.

"You idiots!" the woman screamed before opening up both her palms. However, rather than fire, a flash of incredibly bright light emerged, blinding the Air Bender trio. When it cleared, the woman was gone, and the trio were left with a computer and a blaring alarm.

"What do we do?" Tashi asked, clearly worried.

"OK," Amit answered. "Calm down. Mi, check the computer, and write down anything that looks like an important location. Tashi, check the door. Anyone comes this way, send them flying!"

"Already on it," Mi Hee answered, going through the folder the woman left open. "Looks like they're sending a lot of supplies, including military weapons to…no wonder we couldn't find it!"

"Why?'

"This 'Grand Archive' that they're calling it is in the one place no one could survive for long if they didn't know where it was. The South Pole!"

"They built a fortress in the South Pole?!" Tashi asked.

"We'll worry about that later," Mi Hee answered as she finished jotting down some coordinates. "Let's go!"

* * *

The party in the ballroom came to a crashing halt as the noise of the alarm blared through the building. Guards quickly began mobilizing, looking for any sign of the intruders. The remaining guards secured Emperor Xing as Korra and Han followed the pursuers.

"Who would be so bold?" Korra asked, running towards where the guards were headed.

"I have no idea Korra," Han answered, "but if they were in our servers, they may have access to our secrets. They may even know of the Grand Archive!"

"We can't let them get away!"

"Look!"

In the violence, the group noticed not one, but two groups of people attempting to escape. The first, what appeared to be a trio of Air Benders, ran off the roof of the building, using wing suits to soar into the sky. The second, what appeared to be the tall woman from the Spirit Overseers, ran into a car and headed for the train station."

"They're headed for the train station!" Han yelled into a small device in his ear. "After them!"

The groups quickly entered into vehicles in pursuit towards the train station, but when they arrived, they saw the worst possible sight. Two trains were seen leaving, one with the trio of Air Benders on top of it, the other with the woman on the side, calmly walking inside without a care in the world.

"I'll go after the Air Benders! Have security follow that other train!" Han yelled, only to see Korra boarding the train and opening the door."

* * *

"We made it!" Tashi shouted aloud.

"Yeah, barely," Mi Hee answered, although her tone was also filled with relief rather than sarcasm. The trio were content to lie down as the train began to cross an overpass when a lone figure from the station leapt on it. His uniform and cape identified him as a high ranking member of Avatar Affairs, while his face appeared blank, focused single-mindedly on the task at hand. Most concerting was that he had no difficulty balancing himself on the train.

"Uh, guys?" Tashi exclaimed. Amit was already ahead of the pair, charging the man.

"I've got this one!"

"Amit, wait!"

The man offered a snide grin before leaping backwards in a somersault. It was only by the thinnest of margins that Amit heard Mi Hee's warning and moved out of the way, watching a blade of wind go past him and slice the roof of the train. Undeterred, the man leapt into the air and came down with his hands in the shape of claws, slashing at Amit's arms, causing him to howl in pain.

"Wind Razor?" Tashi asked.

"No," Mi Hee answered. "This is…different. He's moving like a leaf, but is striking with blades from every angle."

"Wind Razor you say?" the man answered, laughing. "My name is Han, and I know Wind Razor better than anyone!"

"What makes you say that?" taunted Tashi, as she moved forward to attack. "This isn't our first time fighting Wind Razor students." Han's response was to effortlessly block her blows and send her tumbling to the ground with a powerful arm throw.

"You fool! I INVENTED WIND RAZOR!"

"WHAT?"

"The version of Wind Razor you've seen in schools, Air Bender, is a watered down form of the art made for civilians. When that idiot Yuza…"

"Yeah, yeah yeah!" Amit answered, attempting to tackle the caped man. Han, however, leapt out of the way and threw a roundhouse kick, a blade of wind emanating from it. Amit dodged but tripped and fell onto the floor, where Han was waiting.

"HAN!"

The voice was that of Tashi, who charged ferociously with fists, feet, and gusts of wind. However, Han avoided her strikes and slashed at her chest, causing her to fall back, bleeding.

"Tashi!"

"I'm OK," she declared, wincing in pain. "How close are we to the jump point?"

Looking over the side of the train, they saw a bridge approaching a ravine, which led directly to Republic City. The trio looked on at their opponent, walking them down before Mi Hee stood up.

"You two go," Mi Hee announced, leaving Amit with a small piece of paper. "I'll handle this."

"No, you can't!" Amit shouted.

"I am the team leader," Mi Hee answered coldly. "And that means you follow my orders! Now go!" Amit said nothing, but nodded. All the lectures Nam-Ka made about how sacred life was resonated far more deeply than they ever could have prior.

With nothing else to say, Amit and Tashi ran for the side of the train, leaping off as their wingsuits slowed their descent. Han was prepared to cut them and their suits to ribbons when Mi Hee pushed the caped man back with a powerful gust, followed by a flurry of kicks. Han countered by leaping into the air and diving towards Mi hands first, clawing right at her eyes.

"AHHHH!"

Mi Hee fell to the ground in agony; hands in front of her eyelids as blood began to trickle out of them. Barely able to see, she struggled to keep sight of her opponent while her vision continued to fade.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked. Han laughed.

"No, of course not. I'm going to find out who hired you. Then," he continued, grabbing her by the chin, "I'm going to make you listen as I snuff each one of them out, one by one. And maybe then, and only then, will I offer you death."

"I'd rather have it now," she answered, putting her palm towards his chest. One final gust of wind pushed Han back and sent Mi Hee over the side of the train, falling. Not wanting to take any chances, Han sent out one last razor wind at the falling form.

"You fought as a warrior, child. It's only right you die as one."

* * *

Sitting down in a passenger seat, Leena had thought that she eluded capture, what with the sheer racket the other three created in the office. Sighing, she was prepared to order a diet soda pop and call it a day when the noise of a woman screaming was heard.

"I'm the Avatar! There's a thief on board this train, and she must be apprehended!"

 _Great,_ she thought. As much as Leena wanted to fight Korra herself, the train was no place in which to do it. Even if she could defeat the fake Avatar, there was no accounting for what the civilians would do if they saw a woman attacking the Avatar. Making Korra pay for her crimes would have to wait for another day. Slowly, so as not to attract attention, she began moving towards the exit, telling a steward she was going to the snack cart. Looking outside the windows, she saw a tunnel approaching. Perfect.

Finally, she reached the exit, only for a loud, authoritarian voice to stop her.

"Hold it right there!"

She had to time this perfectly. Too soon and she'd be caught, too late and she'd never get a chance to pull it off.

"You…you're that woman from earlier. Makoto was it?"

Turning around, Leena made her move, shining a bright flash of light in Korra's face. When she could see again, Leena was gone.

"W…where did she go?"

As the train sped away from the tunnel, Leena hung by the edge, walking towards a service exit. Smiling, she clicked her earpiece.

"This is H1. Package is secured."

 _Good work. Stand by for pickup._

Walking out the door, she wondered if the information she stole would be worth it. Odds are if the facility was where she thought it was, it was going to be requiring recruiting the not-Avatar and his friends again, because there'd be no way the Fire Nation could investigate without causing a major international incident. Still, maybe she could get closer to that cute little Air bender Tong hung out with. What was his name, Shing?

* * *

"Shing? Shing! We're here!"

"Sorry," the Air Bender replied, putting his phone away. "I've been speaking with someone."

"Worry about it later," Kushina answered. "We're about to meet this guy." A short blue suit clad man, his graying hair and beard neatly kept amid wrinkled white skin, soon silenced the trio.

"Remember the rules we discussed on the boat. Accept anything given to you. Do not ask for anything unless offered. Do not question him unless given the chance to. And do not interrupt him. At any time. Do and you will be asked to leave. Perhaps not in one piece."

"I understand," Tong replied, nodding as he did so. The trio walked towards a lavish looking, if old manor, the bricks showing their age yet the condition of the area still well kept and luxurious. In front of the manor itself was a fountain of two turtle ducks spitting water into a pool.

"Ah my guests. Welcome. Allow me to introduce myself, and answer your first question. My name is Yudhisthir, the Black Bull Bird. And I am the man who killed Bolin."


	18. The Man Who Killed Bolin

_Eighteen hours earlier –_

Another day, another port town in the Earth Republic. Tong couldn't help but think that the scenery was all starting to blend together. It was true that he was born in the Earth Republic, but most of his childhood was spent in a far more urban setting. Then of course, he packed up along with his father around the time he was 9 and never looked back. Any sense of nostalgia for the small town atmosphere was non-existent. That was pretty much his formative years to a T, constantly moving, It was only when he was in college that he realized the true reason for his movement: to hide him from the force that ended up being White Lotus. The force that was doing just fine with "Korra" and didn't need another Avatar mucking things up.

It was times like this where he wondered if he would have been forced to keep hiding had his father not been murdered. At the very least, now he had a reason to fight, both for his family, and…for her.

Still, it wasn't all bad. The roads were relatively clean, the buildings moderately sized, people were out and about, and the one teashop had a good selection. It was in that teashop where he and his two friends were waiting, sitting at a table while their alleged contact was supposed to arrive. Kushina was reading over some documents from TT concerning a product delivery and Shing was writing something. All he could see was that it was addressed to senior members of the Air Nation, regarding what, he didn't know. His pondering was interrupted by the appearance of an older man in the teashop, wearing a pristine blue suit. His gray hair and mustache were neatly kept as he sat down at the same table as the trio.

"You are a very fortunate man," the old man began.

"How so?"

"You have been given the honor of being in the presence of the Black Bull Bird, an honor he gives once a year to those with the most…interesting inquiries about him."

"You mean he's done this before?" Tong asked, the attention of the others piqued.

"Yes. My master, the Black Bull Bird, has grown old. In his profession he has found it necessary in his twilight years to…express his concerns."

"You mean confess his sins?" Shing asked.

"No, monk," the old man replied with an indignant huff. "This is different. These are…experiences."

"So why us?" Kushina asked.

"Your story was the most intriguing. A dead father, dead friends, and possibly grander connections. He thought it far more fascinating than the reporters hoping to make a career out of his confession."

"Where do we meet him?" Shing asked.

"My master has an estate off the coast. We can take a ferry out to meet him in the morning. We will leave at 9am, and it will take about an hour and a half to sail out to the island. Please be prompt."

* * *

 _He's dead?_

 _Yes, Inspector. He's dead. People are flooding the office for requests to interview you. They claim jealously and other such things._

 _Wha…no! He was my brother! Sure we didn't always see eye-to-eye, but that doesn't make me a suspect!_

 _Considering how he and his wife died, no, you're not a suspect. But you apparently are a person of interest._

 _I wasn't even there! I was working on the Hong case!_

 _I know sir. We have multiple people who corroborate your story. But that won't stop the press from making their own assumptions._

 _How, how did it happen?"_

 _A piece of metal. In their heads._

 _I just…I'm not speaking with anyone right now. But I wouldn't. He was my brother!_

* * *

"We're here."

Looking around as he awoke, Tong shook his head. The dreams were becoming more frequent, ever since his encounter with the spirits. No, not dreams. Memories. But whose?

"Shing? Shing! We're here."

Watching his friend get off the phone, Tong, the old man, Shing, and Kushina all departed from the ferry onto land, the faithful servant of the Black Bull Bird leading the way. Tong began to breathe heavily, knowing what he was taking his friends into. But the alternative was to put them in danger and not get close to this 'Black Bull Bird'. This was the only way he was going to find answers and keep them safe.

"Remember the rules we discussed on the boat. Accept anything given to you. Do not ask for anything unless offered. Do not question him unless given the chance to. And do not interrupt him. At any time. Do and you will be asked to leave. Perhaps not in one piece."

"I understand," Tong replied, nodding as he did so. The trio walked towards a lavish looking, if old manor, the bricks showing their age yet the condition of the area still well kept and luxurious. In front of the manor itself was a fountain of two turtle ducks spitting water into a pool.

"Ah my guests. Welcome. Allow me to introduce myself, and answer your first question. My name is Yudhisthir, the Black Bull Bird. And I am the man who killed Bolin."

All three looked on at the man, an Earth Kingdom man with dark skin and short head of black hair. His face, free from any sort of facial hair, appeared welcoming despite his confession.

"I admit," Shing mused, looking at the man, "You don't appear that old."

"Tactful. But yes, I am merely eighty-two. Although I'd be lying if I said this job didn't…age me."

All three nodded at the assessment, unsure of just how to take in this seemingly friendly old man. A friendly old man yes, but one who voluntarily and rather abruptly confessed to one of the most notable assassinations of the last hundred years.

"Come inside my estate. We have much to discuss. To do so, we must discuss it from the beginning."

* * *

Much like the outside of the estate, Yudhisthir's study was old fashioned, but kept in pristine condition. The walls were made of brick and marble, the floor polished wood with a platypus bear carpet, and the dark brown sofas made of fine leather than showed signs of polish. Almost immediately, the old man offered the foursome tea. Remembering his warnings, Tong, Shing, and Kushina immediately accepted the tea, looking on at their host.

"You probably want to know if I was responsible for killing someone you care about, correct? That or the list of my most famous clients. I will reveal all, but to give my story proper context, we must go back to the beginning." Acknowledging his guests nods, he continued.

"I am actually the second Black Bull Bird. The first was my father, Sheil, a minor noble in the Earth Kingdom…before the spilt. This estate was passed through our family for generations until the Earth Republic demanded reparations from the nobles once the monarchy was dissolved, along with our titles. My mother was frivolous and wasteful, and I was well…a newborn."

"Your mother?" Shing asked.

"If my father's accounts were to be believed, before he divorced her, my mother took the news of her loss of title and demand for reparations…poorly. She began spending my father's money to…"

It was clear, at least from what Tong heard, that this man did not like his mother. He would have interjected had the reminder from his servant not rang through his head like the crack of a whip.

"My father, to save our estate, and our legacy, began to modify the metal bending techniques he had been taught by a second generation student. The propelling of metal across long distances."

"Like a repeater gun?" Kushina asked.

"Similar, except, since it only used metal bending and not gunpowder or other chemicals, made it extremely difficult to trace. Let me demonstrate."

Going to a small case on a table, Yudhisthir produced a metal rod with an opening, with some sort of scope attached to the top, as well as three oval pieces of metal, all with sharp points.

"Tell me, are you all familiar with the game known as pool?"

"I am!" Shing exclaimed with a rather sudden bolt of enthusiasm. "Fun way to pick up extra money during the weekend."

"Good, then you'll understand how I use my weapon is different than a regular Shocker. You see," he began, loading the metal into the rod, "my father designed this system. You load the metal into the barrel, point it at what you want to die, and then using metal bending, propel it towards the target. The barrel accelerates the metal and allows it to reach its target quickly, and silently. Observe."

A small piece of wood, a foot thick, was placed on the table where the rod was taken from. Placing it on top of a specific holder, he stepped back, and aimed his weapon. Faster than anyone could see, the piece of metal discharged, leaving a hole in the wood.

"I'm aware that metal benders use projectiles like this, but this method, invented by my father and further refined by myself, is far more quiet and efficient, necessary when attacking a target at long range. You see, benders cannot create new powers and abilities. We must refine and find new uses for the ones we have. Metal bending itself, is just feeling the impurities in metal, when it isn't coated with chemicals anyway. We refine, and that is how we improve."

Tong nodded, briefly looking at his gauntlet, before turning his attention to his host.

"Now then," Yudhisthir continued, placing the metal rod back in its case, "my father, killed to earn money to save his estate. He succeeded as you can clearly see. He divorced my mother, and then raised me to follow in his footsteps, refining our skills. You see, it was not enough to merely save the estate, without the title to keep the money flowing, my father and by extension myself had to work to provide for ourselves. It just so happens that this was the most lucrative option we had."

The look on Shing's face was one of disgust, while Tong and Kushina both showed surprise, focusing on the old man's words.

"I still remember the first mission I went on alone without him at 25. President Bolin's assassination."

"Who hired you?" Tong asked reflexively, even as his servant shushed him. Yudhisthir however, was not as cruel.

"I will get to that. Don't interrupt me. But I remember," he continued, "putting the metal in his head, and ending his life. I remember the crowd, once roaring in anticipation for his speech, terrified at the man and his wife falling down dead. You know what the sad part is? I voted for him. Then I got the contract to kill him."

After a pause, indicating he would take a question, Kushina asked "You killed the man you voted for?"

"You don't understand how popular Bolin was at that point. He was known as a man of every culture. He starred in movers. He saved the Earth Republic from Kuvira the despot. He had a plan in place to end the years of hostilities between the Kingdom and the Republic. Who wouldn't vote for him?"

"And yet you still killed him," Shing answered.

"To kill a man is, in my line of work, heavy, but necessary. You do not think of the people he knew, the stories he made, or even your personal feelings towards him. He is a target, I am a businessman, and when he is gone, I will move on. This was merely business. I didn't know him personally, I bore Bolin no ill will, I just read the contract, and executed it to the best of my ability."

"How many?" Shing asked. "How many others after him?"

"Ah, that's a better segway," Yudhisthir answered, chuckling. "My father was the consummate professional. Even if he was no longer considered a noble by the Earth Republic government, he still conducted himself in a manner befitting a noble. And I have carried on his tradition."

Standing up again, the old man went to the bookshelf and produced a large black book, old and thick, before placing it on the table between the group and himself.

"This book contains a list of every target my father and I have silenced, along with the original client, the date, the location, and the payment. It was kept for both bookkeeping purposes as well as to ensure that if someone came after me for revenge…I could see I needed to strike pre-emptively. In the cases I didn't, I would let them know and save everyone the hassle."

"And the ones whose families you have killed?"

"That should be obvious. Self-defense."

The trio said nothing as Yudhisthir asked a question of his own. "And now that you know of the book, you want to see it, right?"

Tong nodded. "But you don't plan on giving it away so quickly, do you?" The old man nodded, closing his eyes briefly.

"Observant. For you see, the evidence in this book would not only doom myself, and my son, but also render my father's efforts to keep the estate for naught. You must see why I cannot allow that to happen."

"Which is why you intend to kill us, after we got close. This was all part of one last job, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Lure you with the promise of the truth and then kill you. And yet you and your friends willingly walked into my trap, did you not?"

"Trap?" Kushina asked. "You knew he was going to try to kill us?"

"Come girl," Yudhisthir remarked with a scoff. "You didn't think that I would just let you waltz in here and take my secrets, all the things my family has struggled to keep over generations, because I felt guilty?"

"So it was all lies?"

"No. You see I have done this before. I do feel the weight of hundreds of dead men on my spirit. I do feel the need to tell people lest I go mad. And I did tell you the truth, but that is a truth you will all take to your graves."

"No," Tong answered, standing up. "You won't." To his surprise, his friends didn't stand up with him, instead just staring.

"You didn't tell us about this plan," Shing noted.

"Yeah," Kushina added. "Kind of an important detail, saying you were walking into a trap to get close to your father's alleged killer!"

"Can we discuss this later?" Tong asked. "This is kind of…"

"I have no intention of letting you leave this island alive," Yudhisthir noted. "Which is why I had your tea drugged."

"Drugged?" It made sense now why the servant was so insistent on them accepting any refreshments their host offered. Their host nodded, a smug smile on his lips.

"Slow acting poison. Won't reach the body for 36 hours. But I'm sporting. I'm going to remove you to a part of my estate. All you have to do is make your way back here, and, well…" Taking a flask from the table, he placed it on the desk next to his metal launcher.

"I fully intend to kill you when you're out there. Be glad you're getting even a sporting chance. Men?"

Darts struck Tong, Shing, and Kushina as a group of suit clad men entered the room. None of the three were so much as able to offer any words of protest before collapsing into unconscious heaps. Yudhisthir smiled at them.

"Remove them to the lion preserve. If they don't rip the trio apart, then I'll shoot them myself."

"And you sir?" the lead servant asked.

"They have six hours before they awaken, when it will start to get dark. I will be having lunch, taking a short nap, and then probably watch _Grand Line_ and _The Jazzman._ If they're not dead by then, I'll kill them myself.

"Of course sir."

* * *

Even though Garuiya was home to an Earth Republic base, most of the people on said base did not believe it would be attacked. There was only a moderate military presence, it was far away from the front lines, and it was relatively well shielded by forest and nature, isolated from most cities save shipping roads and an airstrip. So when the siren began wailing, most of the soldiers were confused.

"What's going on?"

"We're under attack by long range bombardment!"

"From where?"

A purple beam slicing through a building answered the two soldiers, atomizing the structure. Gasping, the soldiers went to their radios.

"Long range bombardment resembles spirit vine weapons! Ground teams, scramble and form a defensive line! Metal team, secure the specialty package! Hurry!"

Soldiers and mecha tanks began scrambling to get into position, several of them blown to bits by the mysterious purple energy blasts. In the middle of the firing, a legion of black mecha tanks began approaching the base, blasting apart the Republic's defenses before they could get into place. The Republic pilots were confused, as the black machines and their heads resembling skulls with helmets were unlike any unit they'd seen before. Even their markings were unfamiliar, an odd white and blue symbol on the right shoulder that did not resemble any the Earth Kingdom forces used.

"What the hell are those? They don't look like Duc….AARGH!"

"Fall back! Fall back!"

With the long range bombardment having taken the Earth Republic's forces by surprise, the legions of mecha tanks faced little resistance. Soldiers were blasted to pieces before they could mount an effective counterattack and benders were overrun by both the mysterious energy blasts from afar and the mecha tanks that came in to pick the corpse of the base. When all was said and done, the entire base was ablaze save one building, a warehouse which the mysterious mecha tanks surrounded.

Following the initial assault, large grey eight wheeled vehicles, designed to carry troops, rolled into the base. From one emerged a group of men and women in masks, their leader walking up to the surviving warehouse and opening it, revealing her prize.

"Intelligence was correct. They had a spirit vine cannon." Looking on at the massive black cannon and the spirit vine reactor next to it, she ordered soldiers to move in onto it, loading it onto a nearby flatbed truck.

"Why would they have a spirit vine cannon?" a second masked man asked.

"The Earth Republic planned to use this to spearhead their assault on Ba Sing Se. But as per the Inquisitor's orders, we're going to repurpose it."

"So where to?"

"We're going to head for the ocean, A ship will be waiting, at which point we're going to Curive."

"Curive? Where the Star Flower is being supplied?"

"The Inquisitor has a very…special plan for this weapon," the woman answered, boarding the truck. "Full sterilization. It needs to look like this base was never here. All evidence must point towards the Earth Kingdom."

The man nodded, motioning to the mecha tanks and soldiers that had secured the perimeter. "You heard Number 1! If it didn't leave with us this morning, kill it!"

* * *

"Ugh…"

Groaning as the effects of the sleeping agent wore off, Tong got to his feet, looking around for his friends. The two were unharmed, also awakening, but neither looked very happy.

"You did not think this through, did you?" Shing asked.

"Can we discuss this later?" Tong answered. "If he put us out here, odds are he's back at his mansion getting ready to put holes in our heads."

"No, we need to discuss this now," Shing continued, not even noticing that he still had his staff. Kushina, between listening to the pair, noticed she had both her pistols on her person, meaning that Yudhisthir purposefully didn't disarm them.

"I wanted to keep you safe. If I refused, odds are he'd gone after you anyway and we wouldn't be close."

"And you didn't tell us why?"

"Because I needed us to be believable when I went in, so he didn't suspect I was on to him."

"Lot of good it's done," Kushina added. "How many times is this now?"

"I…"

"That's what I thought," she answered, her tone clearly annoyed with her companion.

"When…when we get out of here," Tong began, "I promise, you can do whatever you want to me. But for right now, we need to get that antidote."

"And you that book, right?" Shing asked.

"…If he did kill my father, I…I need to know if he did kill Dad."

Before anyone else could object, the sound of growling was heard. From the woods and emerging in the clearing was a lion, huge and powerful, its mane flowing in the light breeze. Behind it emerged two females, all licking their chops at what they perceived to be dinner.

"If you want to apologize," Kushina began, "start with getting rid of them!"


	19. Confessions of a Professional Killer

The Earth Kingdom did everything they could to equate their government with the original Earth Kingdom that ruled the continent for generations. Although the line of "King" was changed to "Emperor" following King Wu abdicating the throne in favor of a new line of succession (or so Emperor Bahn I reasoned when he took power following the initial schism) everything else, including the way the emperor held court with his advisors, was taken directly from the old monarchy. In this style, Emperor Xing I sat in his throne room, with his advisors, the famed Council of Five, seated in front of him. Said advisors were dressed in the green robes of Earth Kingdom royalty which completely covered their bodies, appearing identical save their faces. Unlike the old days, they had the assistance of digital monitors and printed reports to convey their points.

"Well," the Emperor began, "I trust you've all gone over the proposal Avatar Korra gave me this morning. What say you?"

"I believe," one man began, a middle aged man with brown hair and a dark complexion, "that it is the equivalent of surrender. We would no longer be a Kingdom, we'd be a regency."

"And what is the alternative?" another man shot back, his white hair a contrast to his smooth skin. "If Ba Sing Se falls, all of the Earth state will fall under the Republic government, and we'll all be tried and executed!"

"Then the question," Emperor Xing continued, "is if we can hold the line against the Earth Republic's latest offensive without the Avatar's help."

A man with a black beard stood and pointed towards a computer monitor. "As you can see, the Earth Republic has committed a surprising amount of forces to this offensive. Their plan seems to be to cross the Si Wong desert and arrive at our gates, at which point we will be facing a full scale conventional battle."

"And our ability to halt it without help?"

"Well, that's where the problems start. Most of our bomber fleet is being used to hold Republic forces at bay in the areas we've already captured. To repurpose them to defense would not only take time, but make it impossible to hold our gains. Furthermore, we don't have the air superiority to say…launch an offensive against Zaofu with our bomber fleet without suffering catastrophic losses."

"Define catastrophic."

"35% attrition rate per mission until we can clear out several Republic air force bases."

"We've been caught with our pants down," the brown haired man began, "this is true, but we can still defend Ba Sing Se against any invading force, and we will."

The room remained silent until one member of the council, silent prior, stood up. "I believe we should take the offer." The other members of the council were stunned.

"What?"

"We can't win this war without sacrificing more of our men. Even assuming we do turn back the invasion force, the amount of troops we'll need to reposition to do so will mean that we will assuredly lose all of the territory we've gained in Earth Republic borders. It would be an effective resetting of the scale, only both of our armed forces would be substantially depleted."

"And in a case like that, who would recover first?"

"In a case like that, given the amount of trade and their relations with the other nations, the Earth Republic would recover first. We would face a renewed assault before our forces could be significantly replenished."

"And we lack a weapon powerful enough to turn the tables."

"An aide close to Avatar Korra claims that Avatar Affairs is constructing some sort of super-weapon which will win the war."

"Oh yes," one of the generals remarked with a huff. "Somewhere Avatar Korra has Star Dragon 3 ready to fight our enemies."

"Gentlemen, this will not be decided today," the emperor declared flatly. "Thank you for your input. Right now our first priority is to make sure that we defend our borders, and crush the will of the Earth Republic to fight back against us. This state will be united, one way or the other."

* * *

Lions. At least three out in the clearing, with more probably hiding in the bushes. Everyone drew their weapons, lest they be mauled. Tong whispered to his friends, preparing to move.

"On 3, we'll create a wind gust to blow them off to the side. If we can get away from this pit, I think I can seal them inside."

"You sure?" Shing asked.

"The alternative is getting eaten. Ready?"

"1, 2, 3!"

The initial gust of wind blew the lions back as the three ran forward. Kushina raised her pistols as she ran, keeping an eye out for any lions following them. The pair began to move into the woods away from the clearing, only to see another lioness charging them from behind.

 **BLAM!**

Kushina wasted no time, firing at the charging beast, dropping it. With the one lioness out of the way, the trio were able to get away from the thicket into a second clearing.

"Alright, move!"

Tong wasted no time. A dome of earth began to rise over the lion clearing and the thicket of woods, sealing in all the animals. After the dome was secured, the trio began looking for any strays. Luckily none came.

"We're clear."

"Yeah, for now," Shing answered.

"Guys…"

"Guys what?" he replied angrily. "You didn't think to warn us about this trap of yours? Not we've all got poison coursing through our systems and who knows what else on the way to get back to that guy's estate!"

Tong sat down on a stump of earth, looking on at his friends. "What was I supposed to say? 'I have a solid lead, but it's a trap. If I don't go, I'll never get another chance at getting my dad's killer. Would you have gone?"

"I would have," Kushina answered.

Both looked surprised, but Kushina continued her explanation.

"As much as you want to deny it, this is bigger than your daddy issues," she stated rather bluntly. "This is bigger than all of us. Even if you're not the Avatar, this concerns the entire world. And if what we're doing is going to help, then well…we should help."

"I didn't want you to get hurt," Tong replied. "This is my fight, not yours."

"It is our fight, moron!"

Shing's sudden outburst caused Tong to look flustered and embarrassed. He searched for the words to apologize to his friends, to point out that what he did was the correct choice, but the words never came. He only sighed, wallowing in defeat. Both Shing and Kushina looked on at their friend, as Shing offered him a hand to get to his feet.

"You can feel guilty later. Right now, we need to move."

"When we get out of here, do whatever you want to me."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Kushina noted.

* * *

As the credits rolled over _The Jazzman,_ Yudhisthir got up from his chair and went up to the balcony on the roof, carrying the case that held his metal launcher. To be more accurate, the balcony was on the third floor, connected to his room by large double doors. It overlooked the entirety of his estate that was the island, and gave him a prime view of everything. Sitting down on a lounge chair, he began looking through a pair of binoculars, searching for his prey. The green of the night vision illuminated the field, giving him a clear view of his estate.

"Now where are you my friends?"

It was easy to notice the dome over what was the clearing for the lions, and from there, trace the trio, walking forward slowly, carefully towards the mansion. Smiling, he stood up and readied the launcher, looking through a scope attached to the top.

"This game will be over quicker than you can imagine."

* * *

Had it not been for the faint reflection of light off of the assassin's binoculars like a twinkling star in the dark, it was likely none of them would have seen the final shot coming. Instead, Tong yelled at all three to scatter before pulling a thick war of dirt and rock from the ground. The metal projectile went into three feet of earth and stone, but did not come out.

"We're safe as long as we stay under cover," Tong reasoned. "OK, head for the forest."

Shing was incredulous at the command. "What?"

"You two can't earth bend, and he wants to kill me. The forest will give you plenty of cover. I'll draw him off. We'll meet near the base of his mansion."

"You still don't get it do you?" Shing responded. "We're a team!"

"We're sitting ducks if we stay in a group!" Tong answered. "This way, we draw them off and then regroup and attack with all our force!"

After a brief moment to think it through, both Kushina and Shing agreed. Shing however, was quick to remind Tong of one last detail.

"Just don't get your ass killed before we make it to the mansion!"

"I won't!" Tong shouted before muttering to himself, "Not until I know the truth."

The walls of dirt and stone that began forming around the island not only prevented Yudhisthir from getting a clear shot, it was going to make care of the island damned near impossible without bringing in an entire crew of Earth benders to tame it. With that in mind, he rang a bell, walking back inside his room. Soon, his entire staff of 12 servants stood before him.

"They've escaped into the forest and are uprooting my estate! I need you to go find them, and bring me their heads. The one who does so will get two weeks extra pay for each person he captures!"

All of the servants bowed before going into out into the forest. Smiling, Yudhisthir took a sip from a glass of wine he had left on a desk in his room.

"I need some women on my staff."

* * *

The sound of metal firing at them had stopped, so for the moment, Shing and Kushina assumed that they were safe. They weren't about to take any chanced however; readying their weapons in case they were attacked by more wild animals.

"You think we're safe here?" Kushina asked. Shing shook his head, chuckling.

"You're safe. Let's face it, if worse comes to worse, Tong is taking the bolt for you, not for me."

"Shing, is now the best time?"

"It's a good time," Shing answered. "Because I have something I need to do when I'm done with all this. Besides...I can't do what I'm here for anyway."

"What are you talking about?" she asked even as the pair continued to move forward.

"When I agreed to go with Tong to find out who killed his dad, it was at Grandmaster Rohan's request. I wanted to help him, but he wanted me to do something else too."

"OK, and that is?"

"Make Tong realize he's the Avatar."

"This isn't the time to be jealous of…"

"You," Shing answered. "If anyone is going to guide him towards being the Avatar, it's you."

"Me? Why me?"

Shing just shook his head. "It should be obvious, considering the guy's always following you, putting himself in harm's way to save you…"

"He loves me, doesn't he?" Kushina deduced. "He kept saying he wanted to protect me. But he's got a weird way of doing it."

"Even if he doesn't love you _that_ way, which let's face it, he probably does, he still sees you as the only thing worth fighting for and protecting besides revenge. He needs to bring balance to and protect the entire world, and his desire to protect you is going to lead him to that. We're not going to stay mad at him, at least I'm not, but it's going to be you that shows him that stuff like this can't be allowed."

It was clear Kushina was taken aback by Shing's declaration of an outright massive responsibility, not to mention the possibility that her friend and protector/tormentor/idiot loved her romantically and that she inadvertently was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"Can we focus on you know…getting the antidote and staying alive?" Her annoyed tone only accented her issue with the declaration. For his part, Shing understood.

"Sure. Let's keep moving."

With their decision to table how to deal with their friend for another time made, the pair continued to move through the woods towards the mansion. However, they stopped when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Hide!"

From behind several trees, the pair noticed a group of older men, armed with Shocker carbines, combing the forest.

"They're going to try to flush us out," Shing reasoned. "Give the Bull Bird a clear shot at us."

"Let's fix that now then," Kushina answered, raising her pistol, only for Shing to bat it down.

"Hey!"

"Ignoring my own personal beliefs," Shing reasoned, "the noise from a Shocker blast will give away our position to everyone, including Yudhisthir. We need to do this quietly."

"OK, then what do you have planned?"

* * *

The six men continued to walk through the forest in search of their prey, using flashlights to see their targets. Most were muttering about how they weren't active soldiers while a few were more anxious for the pay bonus they'd receive upon finding their targets.

"You boys looking for me?"

The men turned around to see a black haired woman sticking their tongues out at them as she ran deeper into the woods. All six gave chase as she continued to run.

"Now!"

The men attempted to turn around when they heard the word "Now!" but it was too late. From beneath a pile of leaves and branches, the Air Bender emerged, lifting the six men into the air with a powerful wind gust. However, as soon as the gust appeared, it vanished. All six hit the ground, unconscious, but alive.

"Nice thinking," Kushina remarked as she grabbed a carbine from one of the fallen men, while tossing the remaining servant's weapons deeper into the woods. "But is that all of them?"

"If he had an army, we would notice," Shing answered. "Still, we should keep moving."

* * *

The open clearing that was the backyard of Yudhisthir's estate was starting to resemble a jigsaw puzzle. The grass and dirt were all uplifted into rows of thick walls, designed to give anyone approaching cover. It was tiring for sure, but Tong realized it was the only way he would stay safe. Still, with all the walls out of the way, he could rest. He sat down, breathing heavily at his efforts when he heard footsteps. Someone was coming into his trench. He did the only thing he could. He sunk into the wall of dirt, using Earth bending to create an opening.

The six men came through the trench in a two by three formation, two men in front, two in the middle, two in the back. Despite their adherence to tactics, they failed to notice the man hiding in the dirt walls. So when he emerged and blew them into the walls, knocking them all unconscious, they never had the chance to fight back.

With them out of the way, Tong breathed deeply, figuring that he had five minutes to recover. Luckily for him, one of the soldiers just happened to have a canteen of water on them. He had no idea how long they expected to be out here, considering they were still dressed in their servant uniforms.

With his brief respite finished, Tong began moving forward, heading towards the base of the estate. Shing and Kushina were also there, although neither made a move, hiding behind a pillar of earth.

"We're dead if we show our faces," Tong noted. "And the patio being uprooted will give away our position."

"Do we shoot him?" Kushina asked.

"Odds are good he'd hit us before we hit him as soon as we got clear for a shot. We need to take him out before he can fire."

"You have a plan?"

"He's on the third floor, on that balcony," Tong answered. "I have to clear this trench and get up to him. I have an idea, but we're only going to get one shot at it."

* * *

The trade of an assassin had given Yudhisthir patience. Waiting for a target, drawing them out, and finishing them off was long and arduous, but it always resulted in him finding his mark. This would be no different. All he had to do was wait for his enemies to emerge and they would be dead before they could take aim.

That was when he saw it.

A tornado, covered in fire. Literally, the flames spun with the winds as it approached the manor. It was nearly the size of the manor, capable of ripping it apart in a furious blaze.

"Those fools!" he shouted aloud. "I have my shot! Wasting no time, he raised his weapon, only to see that his opponents weren't on the ground sending the tornado at him.

One was inside it. It made sense why they had to get this close. But still, they would destroy the entire building, at least until it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

From the flames emerged Tong, raising his fist, leaping towards his opponent. Yudhisthir never had time to aim his weapon before a hard punch knocked him down, disarming him and causing him to collide with the door. Both the sound of glass shattering and an audible cracking noise were heard.

Breathing heavily, Tong retrieved the antidote, and drank a third of it. The others soon joined him, running up the stairs where they were given their portion of the antidote. The trio stared at the old man, who sighed heavily.

"My reflexes clearly aren't what they once were," he moaned even as his jaw ached from the punch. As he continued to sigh, he took his bruised body and heaved himself onto the lounge chair on the patio, closing his eyes. "But I lost fairly. So, go ahead. Do it."

"It?" Tong asked confused.

"Kill me of course," he answered non-chalantly as if a child had just asked what color the sky was. "You are the victor today. Therefore, you may kill me. Send me off as a warrior should. Although if I may make a request, do it quickly. Something like beheading or a Shocker bolt in my brain. Nothing arduous please." Chuckling, he added, "I am old."

Tong didn't answer, instead going through the book, looking for the name of his father. To his surprise, the name wasn't there."

"My dad…isn't here."

"Then," Yudhisthir replied, chuckling darkly, "I am not the one you seek."

"But…you…"

"I told you," the old man continued, "I track every one of my kills. If he is not there, then I did not kill him."

"Let me see that!" Shing yelled, audibly annoyed with both the day's events and the Black Bull Bird's tone. Sure enough, Dr. Mao's name wasn't there. But what was there was a familiar name from 20 years prior, which he would have passed over had he not recognized it immediately."

"JINORA?!"

"Jinora?" Kushina asked confused.

"My great aunt. She…died before I was born. She was the oldest of Rohan's brothers and sisters. Wait a second…"

Looking through the list, another familiar name emerged. "Meelo. You…killed him too?"

"Ancient history," Yudhisthir replied. "But that means if I didn't wrong him," he said, weakly pointing to Tong, "then I wronged you. So it falls to you to kill me."

As furious as he was, Shing lowered his hands, instead picking up the battered old man by his shirt. "No. You're going to answer for your crimes. I won't kill you." The old man's response was to spit in his face.

"COWARD! I ARRANGED THIS GAME FOR FIVE YEARS, AND I FINALLY FIND A MAN WHO BEATS ME IN A FAIR DUEL! KILL ME AND END IT!"

This only caused the trio to smile.

"Now I definitely won't kill you," Tong replied.

"Why?"

"Because this hurts you a lot more."

* * *

It was nearly midnight when the pair had finally gotten back to the town they left. The Black Bull Bird was tossed in jail with the book of his kills as irrefutable proof of his crimes. The media circus that was sure to follow in the morning was not one the trio wanted to be a part of, so after tearing out the pages that showed Bolin's murder and the murder of several other Earth Republic officials, the trio went on their way back to the inn. Once there, Tong did the obvious.

"I can't apologize enough for what I've done," he lamented. "I dunno…was it all for nothing?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," Shing answered, holding the book in his hands, "You found something that I need the answers to. But don't you dare do anything like this again without telling us, you understand? Next time, I'm leaving."

Tong nodded, bowing in regret. With Shing having accepted his apology, he turned to Kushina.

 **WHAM!**

"AAAAAAAGH!"

Tong fell over, holding his groin in pain as he reeled from the kick Kushina delivered. His eyes immediately teared up as he reeled from the blow to his privates.

"That's for sending me into someone's deathtrap…AGAIN!" she answered, rather annoyed. As Tong lay on the ground, seething in pain, she kneeled to him, and kissed him briefly on his forehead.

"And that's for keeping me safe like you promised, you big dummy. But I'm with Shing, lie like that again and when you get up, I'm gone."

Tong nodded as Kushina went off to her room, Shing looking on.

"So, how do you feel?"

Breathing deeply, Tong only muttered, "Conflicted." His friend nodded, taking his leave, but troubled by the book he held. It seemed every time they were closer to answers, they just kept finding more questions. How deep did the badger mole hole go?

The media circus that was going to come in the morning was too much for Yudhisthir to bear. This was how the Black Bull Bird ended his career? His items repossessed, his kills revealed to all? He looked outside the cell, unable to sleep, when suddenly he saw the guard fall unconscious. Inside the cell walked a masked man, who sat besides him.

"Hi Dad."

The old man's eyes practically lit up. "…Son, you came."

The masked man nodded, removing his mask to reveal a black haired Earth Republic man with light skin and brown eyes. "I had to come. You don't deserve to be paraded before a court."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't finish the contract you helped me to get. Time has…caught up with me it would seem." His son offered a smile and shake of his head.

"You aren't at fault here. You did what you could. They were the ones that tried to humiliate you."

"You will carry the legacy of the Black Bull Bird well my son."

"I will. And I promise, my employer and I, we'll make the world a better place, like you always said we were doing. I'm going to find the people who threw you in here and make them pay for their disrespect with their lives. And when the time comes…I promise that my son will carry our mantle as well."

"Could you do me one favor?" the old man asked.

"Of course, Dad."

"Make it quick."

"I will."

Closing his eyes, Yudhisthir laid back in the cot in his cell. "I love you son."

Replacing his mask and standing up, the man drew a short rod and loaded a metal projectile into it, pointing it at his father's forehead. "I love you too Dad."

 **BANG!**


	20. Meeting Point

"I refuse to look stupid because of an assassin, a monk, and a woman with a gun!"

Slamming her fist on the table in front of her, Korra's outburst stunned the entire group of advisors she sat with. In the midst of her outburst, Han pleaded for calm.

"Honored Avatar, please. We have the situation well in hand. There's no need for this."

"Oh really? What about those spies that took information on the Grand Archive? What about the fact that the Fire Nation apparently considers this man a hero? What about the fact that in the past few months, we haven't caught him?"

Another advisor, a dark skinned man with a baldhead and mustache, stood up. "What can we do?"

"I'm done playing around. Find him. And then I will deal with him myself!"

"Honored Avatar," Han began, pleading for calm, "This man can wield all four elements. He is not to be underestimated!"

"I'm not going to hide in an office while he runs free foiling our plans!" Korra shouted. "This ends now! I'm going to find the 'Specialist', defeat him, and bring him before a United Republic judge to be tried and executed! End of discussion!"

"If that is your wish Honored Avatar," Han answered, "then I will make the preparations."

"Good," Korra answered, her teeth and fist clenched. "No one makes a fool of the Avatar and lives."

Walking away from the table as the group dispersed, Han went into his own office, where another call was on the line. Sitting at his desk, the face of a masked man appeared on his monitor.

"Observer?"

"I have been keeping my eye on the targets like you have requested. Currently they're in the city of Garsai, apparently to meet with someone concerning the information they have on the Black Bull Bird."

"Oh? I thought we dealt with that problem."

"The man is dead, but his book of targets continues to endure. That said, all of our dealings with him were done via intermediaries that cannot be directly traced to us, save one. The Specialist himself, a contract I set up."

"You want something," Han noted. "What is it?"

"I would like to fight the Specialist myself, as a matter of honor between families. He shamed my father, and I wish to slay him to regain our honor."

"As much as I sympathize, we cannot. Someone has asked to take the Specialist on in one-on-one combat."

"And who is that?"

"Avatar Korra."

The man on the other end of the call said nothing, but merely nodded.

"Should the outcome of this duel not end in Korra's favor, then you will get your chance. But I doubt that he can defeat the Avatar, even now. The Avatar has powers beyond that of any normal bender, powers which will destroy this fugitive!"

"I understand," the Observer answered, the monitor going blank. Han was set to get up when another call came through.

"Hello?"

"Inquisitor," began a female voice as the monitor showed the six members of the Youxia of Vaatu. "We have delivered the spirit vine cannon to Curive. There were no issues on the way."

"Excellent. The engineers will take over from here. I have a new mission for all of you in the meantime."

* * *

 _I keep having visions._

 _Visions, Detective?_

 _Yeah, doc. Can you keep in this room?_

 _Of course._

 _I feel like there's a million other worlds that I'm only seeing now at the end._

 _End? You still have a few years left before retirement._

 _It still feels like the end. And I'm looking at a million different possibilities. One where she and I stay together and we start a family. One where she meets a spiky-headed blonde guy before we do and she doesn't give me the time of day. One where she dies and I never really know her. I feel like I got the worst possible ending._

 _Coulda, woulda, shoulda. My mother would always tell me that when I felt I missed an opportunity at life. We can't change the past, we can't take the shot, we can't get the girl. What we can do as people is try to hold on to what little happiness we have, and then keep it close to us._

 _I feel like it's too late for that doc. Way too late._

* * *

"Grandmaster Nam-Ka, what news did you get?"

Shing sighed as he held the phone in his hand, the day's meetings over with; he finally had a chance to speak with the Northern Air Temple master about the information that they had recovered from Avatar Affairs. Unfortunately, it was not without cost.

"Mi Hee died?"

"Valiantly, heroically, but died all the same," Nam-Ka answered. "It is my regret that she did not return with the information she obtained."

There was little Shing could do but bow his head solemnly, an expression that Nam-Ka couldn't see on the other end of the telephone, but one that was necessary given the loss. After doing so, he asked, "What do we do now?"

"The two surviving members of the mission will be going to you. I believe that it is the best way for them to get some closure."

"I'm looking forward to meeting them."

The glum Shing stood in the hotel room, sighing over the phone. He didn't even bother looking up when Kushina walked through the door.

"Anyone interested in seeing some pro bending? I got tickets for tomorrow to see the Turtle Ducks against the Sun Dragons at the arena in town!" Shing said nothing in response though, still looking at his phone.

"O…kay."

"I could go if you want."

"Tong," Kushina remarked, looking on at the man. A clear blush was forming on his face, but he did his best to hide it. "I mean, if you want me along. I haven't seen a pro bending match live since I was in middle school, so it'd be kinda cool."

"Well…"

"You wanted to go as a group, so if you don't want me along…"

"Tong," she answered, holding his hand. "You can come. The idea was for all three of us to go, and last time I checked, you're part of the group."

"So I get to come then, right?"

Turning around, Shing looked at both of them, smiling, while both nodded. "Yeah, you get to come."

"Cool. That's tomorrow, right? Someone's supposed to be coming tonight to meet us tonight."

"You too?"

"You're meeting someone?" Kushina asked. Tong nodded.

"Yeah, my contact from the Fire Nation. I got a message saying she wanted to meet me over something very important." When he mentioned 'she,' Shing was taken aback.

"You mean that lady from the Fire Nation?"

"Yeah, the really tall one," Tong answered, causing Shing to blush at his hazy, cactus juice obscured memories of the woman named Leena picking him up to calm him down. "Come on, we're supposed to meet at the town's outskirts."

"That's where the people I was supposed to meet are headed," Shing reasoned. "Maybe we can all head out to dinner afterwards." Kushina smiled at the invitation.

"Works for me. But if Air Nomads are coming, that means we need to pick a vegetarian place, right?"

Shing scoffed. "Man cannot live on salad alone."

"Well that's because most men usually eat meat."

* * *

Unlike the center of the city, the area where the meeting was to take place was a small rest stop of sorts, several miles from the main road. A closed fuel station and its adjacent storefront were the only buildings in the area, likely having been closed down when they were unable to compete with the stations and businesses on the main road towards Garsai. Therefore, three people could wait alongside a rented car without drawing an excessive amount of attention. As a consequence, it also made the wait incredibly boring with nothing for the trio to do but look over their phones and stare off for signs of life. The setting sun was still forceful enough to pound them with a barrage of heat, causing the sweat to drip steadily, while the small trees occasionally bristled with the wind.

"Did we have to do this out here?" Kushina asked.

"Where else are we going to hide a sky bison?" Shing answered. "It was the quickest way for them to get to us."

"Yeah, I guess." For his part, Tong didn't show any outward signs of discomfort or complaining, choosing to play a puzzle game on his phone and occasionally drink from a bottle of water. This routine continued for about half an hour when a loud whirring noise was heard.

"You said they were taking a sky bison, right?" Tong asked. Shing nodded.

"What about your contact?"

"Car. So…"

Before anyone could answer the question, a heavily armed helicopter lowered itself to the ground, and from the passenger compartment emerged a familiar face. One none of the trio was expecting to see.

"KORRA?!"

In the hot sun, wearing a full green military uniform complete with a green cape, the dark skinned woman known as Korra stood before them, her expression smug and arrogant. However, any bodyguards, if the were there, remained in the helicopter, letting the Avatar face her opponents.

"So you three are the ones that have been causing me so much grief. It's nice to see you without your mask, Specialist. Or is it Tong? I'm honored to meet the Red Lotus' super soldier."

Instinctively, Kushina reached for her pistol, pointing it right at Korra. "What you are is dead!" However, the Avatar only smirked.

Kushina's body began to contort and rise into the air, as did Shing's. Neither could move as their bodies were held aloft.

"Dumb little girl. Did you really think a Shocker was going to be of any use against the power of blood bending?"

"PUT THEM DOWN NOW!" Tong yelled, fireballs forming in his hands. "OR I'LL RIP THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!"

"I'm not here for these idiots," Korra answered, causally allowing them to drop to the ground like garbage. "I'm here for you."

"You wanna fight?" Tong asked, getting into a fighting stance as the flame still hovered over his fists.

"The Avatar runs from no one, least of all a pathetic assassin such as yourself." Her tone remained haughty even as she stared down her opponent. "I think we're both tired of playing hide-and-seek with each other. So let's end it."

"Right now?" Tong asked. Korra answered by laughing in his face.

"No. Tomorrow. Here, at dawn. We're going to have a proper duel. Unlike you, the Avatar has a sense of honor."

"Honor? Is attacking cities with corrupted spirits honorable?"

As Korra went back into the helicopter, she remarked, "I don't know what you're talking about. Not that it's going to matter."

The helicopter flew off, Tong looking on at it, and the woman that served as the symbol of his enemy. Even if she wasn't the leader of White Lotus, she was still the lynchpin of their plans. For her to come out here to challenge him personally must have meant that he had become quite the thorn in her side. That thought made him smile.

Quickly however, he turned to his friends, lying on the ground, but otherwise just fine.

"W…what did she do to us?" Kushina asked, shaking her head.

"Blood bending," Tong answered as he helped her and Shing to their feet.

"So, what do we do now?" Shing asked. Tong was set to answer that when a car pulled up to the gas station. All three looked on at the red sports car and its passenger emerging, a woman in black figure hugging shorts and a red t-shirt.

"Did I miss something?"

* * *

"A duel? Really?"

After Tong, Shing and Kushina had settled themselves, they explained the situation to Leena. Even she was taken aback by how brazen the Avatar's challenge was.

"So she wants to fight you, one-on-one, presumably to the death, why?"

Tong nodded. "I've been a pretty nasty thorn in her side these past few months. Maybe she got sick of sending goons after me and decided to take care of it herself."

"Well it could be a trap you know," Leena reasoned. However, Tong shook his head.

"If it was a trap she wouldn't have come herself. She wouldn't have made such a massive spectacle of it."

Leena nodded. "Well, that's not why I'm here. You see…"

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a sky bison yawning overhead, coming in for a landing. Two teens, a bald boy and a girl with her hair in twin buns, dismounted from the bison, wearing the tattoos of a master Air Bender. Shing recognized one of them immediately.

"Tashi?"

"Shing!"

The pair exchanged a hug, even as the boy and the remainder of the group looked on. "What's with him?"

"Uh, everyone," Shing began, smirking slightly, "this is Tashi, my cousin. But I didn't realize you got your tattoos!" That statement, however, caused her to look sullen.

"Mi-Hee gave her life so we could get you're the information, and when we returned, Amit and I were given our tattoos. I feel like she paid for these with her life."

"Oh come on," Amit answered. "There's no need to be crying. Mi Hee died a hero. And we wouldn't have gotten caught if it…AHH! YOU!"

Amit quickly dropped into a fighting stance, looking directly at Leena, who just smirked at the teen Air Bender.

"Aren't you the idiot that nearly blew my cover in Ba Sing Se?"

"You! You're the reason that Mi Hee is dead!"

"What's going on?" Shing asked, getting in between the Air bender and the Fire Nation spy, both looking on at each other.

"You've got a lot to learn before you can challenge me kid. And it isn't very nice to blame people for the death of your friends."

"Oh yeah? This kid is going to give you a beating you won't…"

"ENOUGH!"

Putting his hands in front of both of them, Shing offered each a cold stare. "We're all on the same side here, like it or not. And I'm guessing you both wanted to tell us the same thing."

"Meaning that Mi Hee…"

"Was as valiant an Air Bender as any Grandmaster," Shing finished. "Now let's all calm down and discuss what you've found."

Nodding at Shing's call for reason, Leena began speaking. "Avatar Affairs has a massive amount of information on all their operations in one place. Not just their stuff either. Materials on every nation, people, projects, ancient secrets, all confined to one place to that they could access it and use it to further their plans."

"And they placed it in the South Pole," Amit added. "Because no one would survive long out there if they didn't know where to look."

"Then that's where we need to head next, right?" Shing asked. Tong however, was silent the entire time, looking out away from the city. This did not go unnoticed by the other members of the group.

"Are you OK?"

"I don't know," Tong answered. "The last time I fought Korra I didn't expect her to be so strong. She even has the Avatar state! I just…" He sighed, rubbing his hand in front of his face as the group looked on at him. Their argument was temporarily forgotten in the face of the upcoming duel.

Leena was the first to respond. "You don't think you can win?"

"I…I…I don't know."

"How about we go somewhere to take our minds of all this?" Kushina interrupted, looking on at the pounding sun. "Somewhere with air conditioning?"

"Where to?" Tashi asked.

"You guys like watching pro bending?"

* * *

With no base in the area, Korra and her bodyguards were forced to operate out of a mobile command structure, namely two massive tractor trailers with a conference room, mobile communication, sleeping facilities, and a second dedicated to holding the assault helicopter when not in use. The trailer deployed from a facility at least five hours away by land, and now rested outside Garsai away from the roads. Inside, Korra was speaking with her advisors over a videophone, her expression cross.

"I can defeat him, and I'll do tomorrow at dawn!" Korra announced. "Anything else can be discussed after!"

"Honored Avatar, please reconsider," a man asked, only for her to slam her fist on the table.

"Reconsider what? That I should run and hide? I'm going to win this fight, and tomorrow, Garsai's streets are going to run red with Tong's blood!"

The outburst caused everyone on the other end of the call to hang up, except Han, who looked through the monitor at Korra.

"I don't think anyone can stop you when you dedicate yourself to something."

"You're right about that," Korra answered.

"Well then, if you don't mind…just…be safe, please? When you get back, there's something very important I need to show you. And ask you."

Korra nodded. "Han, you know I'm going to win. I'll see you in a few days."

* * *

"Zayou?! Please, Zayou hasn't scored a single knockout the entire season so far!"

The sports bar in the middle of Garsai had three things that were helping the group to relax for the most part. Decent food, actual air conditioning, and televisions showing the pro bending match between the Moon Sabers and the Sun Dragons. It even had a parking lot where the valet was willing to harbor a sky bison; the bison content to sleep peacefully next to the vehicles and occasionally eat some vegetables gathered for it. While a rather nicely decorated outdoor patio was set up in the back, nearly everyone was present indoors for the IPBL match. The crowd was bustling over the playoff hunt as the Sun Dragons and Turtle Ducks were in an extremely tight race for contention.

A bit more noticeable among the large table in the dining area was that people were actually talking. Namely, Leena and Amit, after having had an opportunity to discuss the events in Ba Sing Se rationally, had stopped arguing over who's priority was first in the raid and began arguing over the effectiveness of the Sun Dragon's starting lineup. All the while, Tashi stood hesitantly, drinking a soda pop while watching the match.

"Is she still upset with me?" Tashi calmly asked Shing. Shing was set to open his mouth when Leena leaned over the comparatively diminutive Air Bender, hugging him to her noticeable chest.

"Mad? Nah, you kids are all right. Let's face it; you helped me escape by splitting them up. Honestly, if you guys weren't there, or I wasn't there, we would have gotten caught. Besides, come tomorrow Tong's gonna sock Korra the same way Zayou's gonna sock the Turtle Ducks!"

"You keep saying that," Amit answered. "But you've seen the guys they put in the Air Bending position! They'll score knockouts for sure!"

"Who, Don Fen?" Leena asked. "No way he gets anything done!"

The sound of an explosion on the television from the arena masked the arrival of several upset looking men going over to the table. Their leader, a scraggly man with a potbelly and unshaven face, stared at the woman who insulted Don Fen.

"Lady, no one talks bad about Don Fen in this bar and keeps all their teeth!"

"Is that so, little man?" Leena answered, standing up over the drunken fan. Neither of them noticed Shing gasping for air underneath.

"Yeah, it is!" the bar patron said, him and his friends all preparing for a fight. "People that don't think Don Fen is awesome aren't allowed in this bar!"

"Well Kwai was way better!" Leena answered. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Throw you out on your face!" the drunkard answered. "Right boys?"

The grin on Leena's face spoke volumes as she turned over to Amit and Tashi. "Hey, kids. Wanna demonstrate some team pride?"

"I'm staying out of this one," Kushina answered. "Right Tong?" Turning around, she noticed the black haired Earth bender had stepped out.

* * *

Tong, who politely asked to be excused for some fresh air, mostly ignored the sound of bones creaking and people yelling from the bar. He now stood in the back, an outdoors patio filled with cherry blossoms that served as welcome color to the area. He never even noticed the drunks being thrown outside the bar.

"Tong? What are you doing out here?"

"I've been thinking. It's all very sudden, you know?" he said, looking on.

"Sudden?"

"The face of White Lotus challenges me to a duel at dawn. And I'm just…overwhelmed. I feel like I'm always one step from losing everything."

"Why? We've done pretty well for ourselves so far."

Tong shook his head. "I keep having these dreams…memories…something…about a guy. He was in love with a woman."

"Or every romantic mover ever," Kushina joked.

"It gets better," Tong shot back. "But he's dumb. He loses her. He loses her to someone else, and no matter what he wants to say or do, he can't ever win her back. He has to live with that hole in his heart for the rest of his life. Say that he wants her and her friend to be happy, even though he hates it. And he has to live with seeing everything he's ever taken joy in being taken from him until he's left a bitter shell."

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"That I won't let it happen to the person I'm protecting."

"You keep saying you want to protect me. Just me?"

"The world doesn't want me to be the Avatar. Even if we bring the entirety of White Lotus crashing down, I don't know if the world will ever see me as the Avatar. And I've made peace with that. I can't protect the world. But ever since we met, and it was one thing after another, I promised…I'd protect you. That I wouldn't end up like the man in those dreams. Broken and miserable."

"Then why me?" she asked.

Tong breathed heavily, trying to make the words come out. "Because…"

"There has to be a reason," Kushina answered. "A reason that you focused on me and not someone else."

"Because…"

"Well?" she asked, her tone increasingly annoyed. "Tell me."

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!"

The words came out of his mouth like a torrent of water as he grabbed her close. She didn't resist. "The world might fall into 10,000 years of darkness. It might reject me as the Avatar. But I feel like…if you're there, then I have something to fight for. Something I can't ever let them take away from me."

"There's your first problem," Kushina answered, looking annoyed at the man holding her.

"What is?"

"That you assume I'm someone's to take away."

Their lips leaned closer as she raised herself to him. What followed was passionate, filled with desire, but also a twinge of sadness and worry from Tong. Finally, the pair broke their kiss, looking into each other's eyes."

"You're going to fight Korra," Kushina stated, not a single hint of doubt present. "And you're going to win."

"If you're by me," Tong answered before pulling her into another kiss, "then I'll fight Korra's entire army and win."

Beneath the cherry blossoms in the back, the pair continued to kiss, the sadness and worry gone, replaced with a newfound hope for what he knew he had to do. They were so caught up in the moment that they were oblivious to the group looking on them.

"That is adorable!"

Turning around, the group all stared at the kissing couple, blushing as brightly as the cherry blossoms above them.

"Now you have to win!" Leena shouted. "You wanna look cool in front of the girl you kissed, right?"

Amit just chuckled, while Shing looked on, smiling.

"We got ourselves an interesting group. But let's face it Tong. We all have one thing in common."

"And that is?"

"We want to see Korra go down as much as you do!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, causing Tong to nod. Before he could say anything else, he found a drink in his hand from Amit, while Kushina found one in her hand from Tashi.

"What's this for?"

"A toast!" Shing answered. "It's good luck."

"Then I know just what to toast to," Tong answered, raising his glass.

"To the end of White Lotus, and the end of the false Avatar!" he shouted, to which the group enthusiastically raised their glasses.

"TO THE END OF WHITE LOTUS, AND THE END OF THE FALSE AVATAR!"

* * *

Dawn came, and by the abandoned lot Korra stood, her cape billowing in the wind as she waited for her opponent. Her men, or rather, men and women were unmasked and standing in a straight line behind their leader, the need for disguises cast aside in this duel. She looked on at the vehicles and sky bison that pulled up as the group emerged. From the first car came Tong, wearing a T-shirt, pants, and his gauntlet, looking on at his opponent. His friends came out behind him; in a line behind their fighter the same way Korra's subordinates were behind hers.

"I'm here Korra," Tong yelled, walking forward slowly towards the false Avatar. "Let's end this!" No fear was present in his voice, and no doubt was noticed on his face.

"Yeah, Avatar to assassin," Korra responded, getting into the fighting pose of a water bender, as Tong readied himself in his own fighting stance. "Let's end this game now." As he continued to walk forward, she taunted, "You can't win," only to see Tong charging forward, fists ready.

"Try and stop me!"


	21. Duel in the Rising Sun

The gas station and storefront that stood outside Garsai was long since abandoned, its humble stores emptied, the tanks of fuel long since emptied and removed. No one paid the eyesore any mind save a few people who contemplated buying the plot. None would have guessed that this humble line of buildings would have played host to a duel involving the Avatar.

"HAAAAA!"

Korra was prepared to move and use her blood bending, but as soon as the duel started, Tong ran forward, right in front of the Water Tribe native. Rather than bend, he instead ducked low and delivered a powerful left hook to Korra's right ribcage, causing her to gasp in pain and stagger backwards.

"Alright Tong!"

"Keep it up man!"

Korra was undeterred by her opponent striking the first blow. Reaching by her belt, she revealed a water sac, using water bending to release its contents and strike Tong with the force of a hammer. The water floated in the air as it rained down in the form of icicles, barely missing Tong as he dodged and moved out of the way.

"That will show you some re...UGH!"

Korra's moment of victory was short lived as Tong went back in with punches to the face and hard kicks to the legs, causing her to buckle and throw her hands up to defend and strike back. The barrage continued for a few more seconds before a wall of stone, at least twelve feet long on each side, rose between the two, separating them. Slowly, Tong began to move to the right, Korra moving in tandem towards her left.

On the sidelines, Shing looked on at the battle, seeing Tong slowly move down the wall, listening intently. He sighed.

"Well, so far so good."

* * *

 _10 hours earlier:_

"What are you doing?"

Tong was sitting on the bed in the hotel room, ready to rest heavily before his duel with Korra. Unfortunately for him, what followed in the room wasn't Kushina with a glass of milk and a goodnight kiss, but the entire group, all pointing to a tablet that Leena seemed to have bought with her. They all looked on at the screen as it activated, revealing video of Korra.

"You really plan to go into a duel tomorrow and just 'wing it'?" Leena asked. "You really are an amateur."

"What I am is kinda tired," Tong answered, only for the Fire Nation agent to shake her head.

"You can bet if Korra planned to fight you in a duel that she's done her homework. She's probably studied everything from your fighting style to how thick your neck is. And if you're going to win, you need to know what you're up against."

Tong groaned, but nodded in agreement. The tablet screen was then shifted to a scene in a garden, in which two masked assailants were lifted into the air and tossed to the ground before they could attack.

"Korra's greatest strength, and one that she doesn't use that often in hectic situations, is her ability to blood bend."

"She didn't use that the first time we fought," Tong answered.

"Well, according to that footage, you caught her off guard. You see, blood bending requires complex, precise movements for it to work, and only the strongest water benders can use it without the power of a full moon. Korra, plain and simple, needs time to set up her blood bending attack."

"Ok, and what do you suggest?"

"Don't give her an inch. The fact is, Korra relies a lot on her bending, and she likes being far away from people. And if the two of you trade punches, who's going to win, a 21 year old who knows Fire Nation boxing and Earth State 8 limbs striking, or a woman who's physically in her mid forties?"

* * *

Two feet from the end of the wall, Tong stopped moving. Instead, he waited. None of the bystanders on his side knew what he was doing. Then without warning, Tong drove his fist through the stone wall, only for his arm to meet with Korra's. His left arm drove through as well, meeting Korra's. The wall itself collapsed around them as the pair was locked in a test of strength, both desperately trying to gain the advantage.

"You're pretty strong," Tong grimaced even as he moved forward, "for an old lady."

"Well it's time that this old lady taught you some manners, brat!"

Out of nowhere Korra launched a kick towards Tong's crotch which he barely avoided. However, his movement caused Tong to lose his balance, letting Korra snap the younger man down to the ground. She used the opportunity to run and get distance before raising her hands, a mist surrounding the battlefield that was the lot.

"Great," Tong mused. "She's using my tricks." Still, he didn't move. In the middle of the mist, he stomped the ground, hoping to feel something.

Two bodies were approaching from behind, but they soon met fireballs to the face and a gust of wind which blew away some of the mist. As it cleared, there were no people present, just stone limbs.

"Golems?" Tong mused, only to feel an arm snaking around his neck.

"You think I'm just an old lady so you underestimated me," Korra remarked, trying to choke Tong. Instead, he shook his head, keeping his chin tucked in tightly.

"No, you're sloppy."

Slowly, Tong took the arm and with two hands, controlled it, spinning into Korra and landing a powerful elbow to her face. She reeled from the impact, barely staying conscious as he again moved in forward, refusing to give her even an inch of pressure. He was so focused on his attack that he didn't notice the metal bola tie him up and knock him to the ground. Briefly, he looked to her henchmen, but they didn't appear to be moving, much less bending. If they were helping, they were doing so extremely subtly. This did not go unnoticed by Tong's friends, as Amit readied himself to attack Korra's henchmen. However, an arm from Shing stopped him.

"But they're cheating!"

"And they're hiding it," Shing answered. "Unless they're being blatant, we shouldn't move in."

"Why not?"

"Because this is probably the closest we'll get to capturing Korra and getting answers about what White Lotus is up to."

Kushina however, had another question about this plan.

"And what makes you think Tong won't just kill her?"

Shing looked on at the battle sternly, thinking back to Tong's first attempt to confront Korra, and answered "because he knows that route will only leave him further in the dark."

Unaware that people were talking about him, Tong began focusing on the bola binding him in place, trying to force it off.

"Can't tie up a metal bender with a piece of metal," he mused before opening his arms and causing the bola to fly off. As he did, Tong looked up and noticed that Korra was again charging forward, this time with jagged icicles on her arms pointed right at him. He was confused for a moment, but then took advantage.

A massive gust of wind stopped Korra's assault, while a streak of fire caused her to stumble backward and the icicles to melt. It was then he realized what the issue was.

Why didn't she fire bend when he was on the ground tied up? He was a sitting duck for fire or lightning!

Tong had little time to think it over, though. From out of the ground by Korra emerged a spear pointed directly at him.

"Oh hell, I can do that too."

Focusing, from the ground Tong created a large two-handed sledgehammer. Gripping it with both hands, he swung it around for dramatic effect.

* * *

"Weapons?"

"Korra has done exhibitions to demonstrate her skill with weapons as part of several 'cultural exhibits.' Her favorite seems to be the two handed Dao sword and the qiang spear."

"You think she'll use spears and swords?"

"If she can earth bend, she can create those weapons pretty easily. Tell me you have a weapon you can use."

* * *

That spear gave Korra a significant advantage in range. She knew it too, moving forward slowly so as to press her advantage. Tong was fully aware that she was hoping to close the distance and finish her off as quickly as possible, and that his opportunity to counter would be minimal. With a shrug, he lifted the sledgehammer up, holding it as if it were a two handed sword.

"This is an elegant weapon," Korra taunted. "Where did you learn how to use that thing?"

Tong smirked in response. "Construction work in high school. Dad always said I had to work if I wanted to get money to play."

Korra scoffed at Tong's mentioning of his father. "The Red Lotus scientist?"

"THE MAN YOU KILLED IN COLD BLOOD!"

"Then go join him!"

Korra charged with the staff as Tong stood, hammer at the ready. He waited, and waited, and then finally moved.

Moving to one side, he avoided the initial strike and swung the sledgehammer, cracking the spear in two. With it broken, Tong moved in to deliver a killing blow when a wall of stone emerged, the impact shattering both it and the hammer. Korra used the opportunity to attack, striking with an icicle-covered fist that cut Tong. Her victory was short lived, as she soon met Tong's flame covered fist, burning her.

"This is starting to seem wrong," Tashi remarked. "It's so…brutal."

Leena couldn't help but scoff at Tashi's concern. "It's war. If your opponent shows sympathy for even a second, then you pounce and make them regret it. If Tong lets up for a second, Korra will kill him."

"How do you know?"

"It's what I was trained to do."

The sight on the battlefield seemed to echo Leena's sentiments. Neither fighter let up in a relentless physical assault, bending primarily being used to increase the power of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Finally however, Tong saw his opening, ducking a stab from an icicle fist and throwing an overhand right with a gust of wind behind it. The combined force sent Korra reeling into the wall of the long abandoned store. Still, Tong stood firm, his eyes alerted to his opponent.

"You're not done yet," he mused. "You still have the Avatar state. You won't trick me again!"

* * *

"That still leaves out the biggest problem."

"The Avatar State?"

"She can use it. And when she does, it enhances her power, strength, and speed ten times over. How do I beat that?"

"Easy. Don't let her use it."

* * *

Fireballs were launched at Korra, but another wall of stone rose to protect her. Tong ran forward, knowing he was only going to get one shot at his attack, smashing the stone. He was set to finish Korra with one decisive blow.

Only to see himself raised into the air, unable to move.

Looking down, he saw the white glow in Korra's eyes, the power of the Avatar state combined with her blood bending ability. Emerging from the rubble, she grinned maliciously. Tong tried to aim his gauntlet, only to see and feel his right arm point right at his head.

"You're a fool Tong! Did you really think punches and kicks were going to be of any use against the Avatar state? Look at you. I could snap your neck with a gesture. I think I will too, after I deal with your friends."

Tong struggled against the control of blood bending, seeing Korra raise her hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends rise into the air, struggling to move. Shing desperately attempted to grab his staff while Kushina tried to reach for her Shockers, but to no avail.

"So which one should I kill first for defying me? The spy? She lied to my face after all." The sinister grin was accented by Leena's leg rising into the air as if Korra intended to rip it off, but it fell at the last second.

"How about the Air Nomads? I always hated Air Nomads. So self-righteous and annoying. It's sickening." Tashi and Amit's hands were wrapping around each other's necks while Shing began to place his staff alongside his neck.

"Don't you touch them!" Tong shouted.

"No, I know who I'm going to kill first. The girl. It's always about the girl, isn't it? Well here's some advice, it never ends well for her."

Kushina struggled as her hand emerged from a holster on her pants, drawing her Shocker. She slowly began moving the weapon towards her head as she closed her eyes, desperately hoping something, anything would save her.

" **NOOOOO!"**

A primal scream echoed throughout the battlefield, stunning even Korra, followed by an incredible bright light. As she looked on, she saw the source of the light and screamed, the people she was holding up with blood bending falling to the ground.

It was Tong, his eyes glowing white and his expression one of pure rage.

"YOU DISGRACE THE TITLE OF AVATAR!"

Two pillars of stone and a gust of wind accented the punch that hit Korra. The force of the blow sent her flying through the wall of the storefront and disrupting her blood bending. She stood, only to see Tong in front of her, water from the pipes in the store flowing into his hand. The voice that emerged from Tong was both his and another's at the same time, sounding remarkably similar to the way Korra did.

"YOU'VE USED MY FACE AND MY NAME TO COMMIT COUNTLESS ATROCITIES AND TO ENSLAVE THE WORLD! YOU WILL PAY!"

Korra tried to water bend the torrent approaching her, only to be hammered with it right outside of the storefront again as everyone looked on aghast. Everyone except Shing who smiled at the sight.

"What the hell is going on?" Amit asked.

"He's embracing who he truly is."

Kushina meanwhile, could only stare at the sight in front of her, confused. Was this her childhood friend? The same man that told her she was the only thing he cared about? Was this…the destiny he was meant to fulfill?

Korra saw the water on the ground and relentlessly tried to water bend it. She desperately threw icicles and water at Tong to keep him away, only for the attacks to literally evaporate in front of him. With water bending not working, she drove forward and tried to punch him, only for Tong's fist to hit her clean. This time however, when he hit her, a torrent of memories flooded through her mind, as if she was processing an entire lifetime in an instant.

The memories and emotions that assaulted Korra were relentless. A lovely hill in the spirit world. The kiss of another woman. The scorn of countless eyes at the fact that Avatar Korra was bisexual. The blunt refusal of every government to recognize them as officially married. Fire and brimstone hurled at her and her partner, Asami Sato.

 _Asami Sato. My partner._

The pain of all the hours away from her. The shame and loneliness of never being able to start a family. Korra defending Asami from the barrage of abuse, both physically and verbally. The small pieces of time, where she was tempted to forget the world and being the Avatar, and just be Mrs. Korra Sato. The necklace Asami made in the spirit world, wrapped around her neck that served as a symbol of their love, a pure love forged over decades, forged in moments grand and small, whether they were battling dictators or sharing tea. The love that echoed in all the things they did together, congratulating Bolin at his wedding, standing by Asami's side as she broke ground on her new company Tomorrow Technologies just to spite Chanming, and even when they enjoyed ice cream together on a hot summer day in Republic City. The words she spoke to Asami in the spirit world, and echoed countless times over the decades.

 _The world might fall into 10,000 years of darkness. It might reject me as the Avatar. But if you're by my side, I don't care. I will always love you Asami._

 _Korra..._

 _Yeah?_

 _You're so sweet._

And then one night, a mysterious shadow ripped through their bedroom and stabbed Asami, the woman she cared about more than life itself, and then stabbed her. The attacker wore her face.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Overwhelmed, completely and utterly, Korra fell unconscious. Her men noticed and ran to her aid, only for Tong to swipe them aside with a maelstrom of fire. A woman with fiery red hair and a brown haired man with a carbine ran forward. Behind them, a black haired, dark sinned man with a bola, a dark skinned woman with a water whip, and a pale bald man with a bladed staff followed.

"You three distract the Specialist! We have to evac Korra now!"

"On it!" the woman with the water whip responded, shooting the water forward in an attempt to freeze Tong and give the group safe passage. Unfortunately for her, the water evaporated before even reaching Tong. The man with the bola found a similar result, as the metal weapon flew apart into pieces before it even got close. Even the blade that the last warrior swung at Tong shattered, as a barrage of metal and stone battered the man. The distraction however, was all they needed, as the helicopter began taking off, although Tong's friends weren't about to let that happen. The group charged forward only to meet the water whip wielder, who quickly froze their feet to the ground in the hopes of buying a few more seconds. She sighed when the Specialist, no, the Avatar faced her.

"I will die for the Realignment. Go ahead!"

Her answer was a pillar of stone knocking her into the air. As the ice shattered, Shing looked up and saw her flying in the air. Unwilling to let her die, however, Shing, Amit, and Tashi used wind to slow her descent, letting her land unconscious, but alive. The helicopter flew off as Tong stood among the three battered bodies, finally falling unconscious himself.

* * *

"Asami, Asami."

"Point Blank, what's going on with her?" the woman asked even as she kept flying the helicopter. It appeared that the Specialist had not followed them, meaning that her men had done their job. It also sadly meant that they were either dead or imprisoned.

"She's alive Paralyzer," the man responded, "but her brainwave activity is off the charts! We need to get her back to Republic City!"

"Then that's where we're going. We'll take the command truck to the nearest base and then fly her back on the double."

As the helicopter flew off, between bouts of unconsciousness, all Korra kept muttering was the same name over and over.

"Asami."

* * *

Light pounded Tong's eyes as he opened them. He looked up, and saw a group of people smiling.

"Wh…what happened?"

"You won!" Shing shouted joyously as Tashi and Amit helped Tong to his feet.

"Yeah!" Amit added. "You beat Korra senseless and you sent her and her henchmen running! It was awesome! You were all like…BOOM! And then the fire came down like…FWOOSH! And then…"

"Ok, back up!" Tong yelled. "I remember Korra blood bending you guys, and then I screamed. Everything afterwards was a complete blur."

"Korra escaped," Leena recounted, "but we got three of her closest henchmen. The police are going to arrest them, and then I'm going to pull some strings and make sure they get extradited to Fire Nation custody."

Tong however, was focused on the first part of the statement. "So Korra got away? That's what happened?"

"You saved me again. That's what happened."

Kushina stood next to him, smiling, but also confused. "What…what did you do? Your eyes glowed like Korra's, but a lot brighter, and well, a lot more powerfully."

"I…I don't know. I think it was, no, I know it was the Avatar state. But…ooh…"

Tong clutched his ribs, looking on at Kushina. "I'm OK. Just…pushed myself. We still on for tonight?"

"Depends," Kushina answered flatly.

"On what?"

"On if I can get enough tickets for everyone," she answered, gesturing towards Leena, Amit, and Tashi, who all smiled at him. "Come here you big dummy."

"Dummy?" Tong shot back. "I won!"

"Like I said you were going to," Kushina answered with a snicker, before pulling the Earth state man into a kiss. The group all grinned at the sight of the victorious Tong kissing the woman he cared for, all except Shing. He looked on with a sense of concern. True, he had something to protect, but how close was he to embracing his role as the Avatar?

Somehow, he didn't think that mattered much to him as he kissed the woman he loved, the woman that he vowed to protect from any danger. But the world needs an Avatar, he thought, and Tong will need to be that man. The battle was won, but the war far from over.


	22. Icon: Part I

It wasn't the physical injuries that troubled her. The ribs, healed through the use of water healing. The cuts, the burns, they would all fade with time. None of these bothered her.

It was the images.

The punch that hit Korra revealed a torrent of memories, garbled stories that she couldn't make out, that had no context, but immense value. They were her memories, and yet they felt like the memories of another. Memories of promises, memories of hate, memories of rejection; all of these were present. But what stuck out the most were the memories of love. The memories that were jumbled together, but would give her all the answers if made whole.

She stood up from her bed and looked out the window of the apartment Avatar Affairs had rented for her in Republic City. It offered a view of the entire city, everything from the massive television monitors in Convergent Square to the crowds of human and vehicular traffic to the towers that adorned the cityscape. Looking inside, she saw two bodyguards standing by the entrance; ready to accompany her anywhere she went. She looked outside again at Republic City, wondering just what it all meant.

Korra, sitting on her bed, tried to meditate again, tried to make sense of the chaos. The images, some of them came together, pages of a book ordered and read aloud. The two bodyguards were ignoring her. Good. She had to see what it was that overwhelmed her so.

* * *

The tree in the middle of the spirit swamp was massive. Even touching it briefly she could feel the age and weight of it. Her curiosity was not lost on her companion.

"I didn't bring you here to look at the swamp. I brought you here to ask you a favor."

The old woman, no, Toph asked Korra to come here. Her white hair hung over her head, not that she would know, being blind. In her usual cantankerous fashion, she asked Korra to get over as soon as she could drag herself over, and was aloof as soon as she came.

"You? Ask for a favor? This oughta be good."

"Shut it kid. Believe me, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't need to. But I'm fighting something not even I can beat."

"What's that?"

"Time. I'm getting old. The kind of old where you can barely move. The kind where you feel your strength leave and it drives you insane because you know exactly what you were capable of in your prime!"

"I can't cure aging," Korra answered, but Toph shook her head.

"I'm not stupid kid. I didn't ask you here to cure me. I want you to protect this place after I'm gone."

Korra was taken aback by the request. Mostly because she didn't realize Toph had it in her to ask for anything, much less sentiment.

"I've been fighting off people trying to invade the forest for the past year since Kuvira was defeated. They've been coming in mecha tanks, but I keep beating them back. Problem is…well, AGE."

"Why this place?"

Putting her hand up to a spirit vine, she shook her head. "I've gotten kind of attached to this little hole of dirt. And I know what people want to do with it. I just want to make sure that it isn't stripped bare and turned into a mall as soon as I kick the bucket."

Korra nodded at the request. "I won't let what Kuvira created be made by anyone else. Just point out who I need to stop."

The sound of mechanical whirring answered Korra's question as the sound of mecha suits approaching could be heard. Looking on, she saw at least forty, wearing the emblem of the new Earth Kingdom. It was obvious why they had shown.

"Forty against two. Seems like rough odds."

"Yeah," Toph answered, punching her fist into her palm for emphasis. "For them."

Korra looked on at the grinning old woman confused, until she offered a laugh. "I said I was old. I didn't say I was dead. And as long as I'm alive, I might as well have some fun."

* * *

As cool as she idea of her and the great Toph Bei Fong fighting off a squadron of mecha tanks and kicking butt was, it didn't answer any of her pertinent questions. What fate befell Asami Sato? Why couldn't she remember her friends and their relationships? What caused her to lose her memories in the first place? And why did they return now, in a battle with an assassin that not only could wield all four elements, but could also summon the Avatar…no. That wasn't possible. That couldn't be it.

"I'm the Avatar," she muttered to herself. "He's gotta deal with it."

* * *

"Are you feeling better H…Korra?"

Between bites of an Earth state style curry with rice and sky fowl, Korra nodded to her advisor, the Inquisitor. "I'm still hobbling a bit. My knees feel stiff and there are a lot of bruises, but the water healers expect those to go away with a few days of treatment." The massive dining room in the Avatar Affairs building was used both for Korra's meals as well as hosting diplomats, so when none were present, the large room with its chandelier above the table seemed...empty.

"Good to know," Han answered. "Especially given recent news."

"News?" Korra asked even as her chopsticks stabbed at the rice in the green bowl.

"Yes," Han answered with a chuckle. "While you were dueling The Specialist, which I still contend was ill-advised, we reached a tentative deal with Emperor Xing of the Earth Kingdom. He has agreed to all of our conditions, unilaterally, and is willing to accept his new title, if the Earth Republic breaches Ba Sing Se."

"Good," Korra answered. "Then we're one step closer to uniting the world under our banner. We will have peace within our lifetime."

She stopped when she heard those words. The image of her and Toph fighting people who wanted to disrupt the balance reflected in her eyes, as they went wide with shock and realization. She was what Toph had wanted her to protect the forest from.

No, that was ridiculous. The White Lotus had developed the Realignment for years. It was the only way to permanently bring the world into balance.

So why didn't she want to share these doubts with Han? Han had been by her side ever since she first lost her memories, an acolyte within White Lotus that was young and naïve, but supremely dedicated to her. She even suspected that he might harbor romantic feelings for her. And yet these thoughts made it seem as if he was the last one she could trust.

"Tomorrow," Han continued, "you'll see the final step instrument we have to unify the nations. I trust you will be impressed."

"I'm sure I will," Korra replied, smiling.

* * *

She was back in the forests, looking on at the trees and other wildlife. And that's when she saw her.

"Asami."

The woman was smiling, picking fruit from trees. She didn't have to do it, but she enjoyed fresh fruit over the processed stuff. She enjoyed being close to the earth. And when she noticed Korra, her arms opened, as if to hug her.

Korra's lips trembled, as she opened her arms.

But when she reached for Asami, there was nothing. There was no forest. There was only desert. Desert and destroyed buildings. And a sight that was utterly horrifying.

The great city of Ba Sing Se, nothing more than a dilapidated ruin, long since cleared of human life. Its palaces, skyscrapers, and roads, centuries of human progress were all buried under sand, long since re-taken by the desert.

And she would be the cause of it all.

The sight in front of her switched to other cities. Zaofu was the first, but there were others to soon follow. Capital City of the Fire Nation, the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, Republic City, all of them would burn. And she would be the cause of it all. A voice echoed as each city burned.

 _There will be peace in our lifetimes! Because any who would dare oppose us will be annihilated without hesitation!_

 _Hail_ _Quán Zhī Wáng!_

A battle was fought in Republic City, on one side, Quán Zhī Wáng, covered in shadow. On the other side was another being in shadow, the Avatar. As the two titans clashed, Korra looked on helpless as she walked through what was left of the jewel of civilization. In the ruins of what was Republic City, she saw a skeleton. The skeleton wore Asami Sato's clothes. Without warning, the skeleton rose, pointing at Korra.

 _And you will be the cause of it all._

* * *

Korra awoke from her bed in a cold sweat, unable to process what she had seen. Looking by her bedside, she saw a clock reading '9:05am'. Her mind went to two places, Han's announcement that Emperor Xing had agreed to their terms to intervene, and the jumbled, incoherent memories of Asami Sato that haunted her very being. She needed to see someone who could help with this, but who?

 _Spiritual cures for spiritual ailments."_

Tenzin said those words when she was beginning her spiritual training. It was meant to say how spiritual matters required a different set of thinking to deal with. And what she was dealing with wasn't physical. She was banged up, sure, but those injuries didn't hobble her anywhere near as badly as these memories did. It was then that an idea hit her. A spiritual cure.

She had to go to Air Temple Island. And she had to do so quietly, so as not to let her bodyguards know.

Korra didn't know where her sudden distrust of the staff that constantly followed her was coming from, but she wasn't about to question it. She made sure to wear clothes that wouldn't' create a scene, a large jacket and jean shorts instead of her traditional uniform, while putting her hair up in a ponytail and covering that with a hat. The sight of her old hairstyle on her head in the mirror couldn't help but be amusing.

"Huh, I haven't worn it this way in years." Hopefully this way she'd be inconspicuous.

Slowly, she opened the door to her apartment balcony, and prepared to create a wind gust to lower herself to the ground.

Nothing.

She tried again. Still nothing.

"Why won't you work?" she muttered to herself. The fifth attempt at air bending proved futile, and she sighed. So she couldn't air bend? Reaching for a glass of water inside her apartment, Korra focused on the liquid, letting it float in the air.

"OK, I can still water bend. This is doable."

Filling a sac with water, Korra allowed its contents to be released, the water floating into a large bubble. She stepped inside it as the bubble lowered itself to the ground, dissipating once it landed. Performing such a complex water bending technique made her smile. She was fine. The air bending was probably just affected by her injuries was all, right?

She knew who she had to visit.

* * *

The problem with going out on her own without anyone to accompany her was that she was left to her own devices when navigating the city. Normally, advisors, security, and others who ensured that she got to where she needed to be immediately accompanied all of Korra's trips, finding the shortest possible route, and pushing anyone out of the way who obstructed them.

Here, there was no such luck. She knew that she had to get to Air Temple Island and the ferry, but she was as lost as any tourist. Now, she found herself in Raiko Center, a very large shopping center filled with restaurants, offices, and stores. It was hardly the worst place to be lost, but it was annoying to be delayed in any manner.

"Hey! Frontier toys!"

Turning around, Korra found a sight that both amused and irritated her. It was a child nagging her parent about toys from a store. She recognized the show vaguely from her occasional television viewing, something about a high school student on a starship that flies a jet fighter that transformers into a robot. The toys themselves were placed below a television monitor showing scenes from the show, robots fighting aliens and the sort of loud, colorful material kids loved.

That wasn't the sight that irritated her. The sight that irritated her was the small bin by the front entrance marked "Bargain bin." It was filled with toys resembling Avatar Aang and his friends, utterly ignored for the shiny figurines of robots and jet fighters.

"Hey," she went to the shopkeeper, "no one wants to buy these?"

"You kidding?" the storekeeper replied. "The Avatar isn't exactly the most popular figure these days. She's considered too nosy for her own good. No one wants Avatar toys. We can't give these pieces of crap away!"

"They do look kind of shoddy," Korra noted, looking over a figurine labeled 'Prince Zuko.'

"Tell me about it. The company said they were going to be the biggest thing, and no one wants to touch them."

"Are there any of...Katara?" Korra asked, the name coming from the jumbled mess of her memories.

"Toy company thought toys of girls wouldn't sell," the man replied. "Look, they're on sale, but I wouldn't give these toys to my kids unless I didn't like them. But we just got the latest shipment of Nar…"

"Thanks," Korra interrupted before walking out. Her popularity was dropping? Why didn't any of her advisors tell her? They were going to be sorry when they reported this evening. If she wanted to speak to them. And of course there was the sight of the child. The memories of the court case rang in her head again, annoying her to no end.

Walking through the city provided more of the same images, images that she happily ignored just a week prior now seemed overwhelming. Above her, Korra saw a massive billboard advertising a mover "Last Days of the Great Uniter," with a picture of an actress playing Kuvira. She chuckled at the sight, only to look up again.

It was her, in Kuvira's uniform.

Gasping, Korra, fell to the ground, a small crowd of onlookers observing the fallen woman. She looked on, and saw the billboard now resembled Kuvira, or the actress playing Kuvira again.

She had to find that man soon.

* * *

 **BONG!**

"See, this is the problem with Wind Razor!" Rohan yelled as the Air Bending Gates whacked yet another student in the head. "You want to fight before you can walk! It ends poorly!"

The students in front of him looked exhausted at the exercise, but in their defense, he had run them pretty hard. They came from the Fire Nation, former Wind Razor students who journeyed to Republic City following the closing of their local school. And judging by how they performed, Rohan could only shake his head at what passed for an Air Bender taught by Wind Razor instructors.

"OK, that's enough for today," he announced to the relieved class of a dozen students. "Go clean up and head to the mess hall for lunch, then come back for your spiritual training. But we're going to do this every day until you can traverse the gates flawlessly! I'll make the lot of you true Air Benders yet!"

The relieved students all bowed respectfully and then left as Rohan looked on at the gates, smiling. It almost made him question if he had to retire. His memories of the gates ranged from annoyed at the initial swattings, to being determined to make it through the contraption, and finally proud when he did make it and seeing his father's approving face. He had no doubt that the students were cursing his infernal contraption right now, but they'd come around when they succeeded going through it. What was that old saying about needing to break eggs to make an omelet?

The Grandmaster's thoughts were interrupted as a presence emerged from the ferry, one he did not expect to see.

"YOU!" he shouted at the woman who walked off the ferry, removing her cap and looking on at the Grandmaster. "How dare you violate this sacred ground!"

"I'm not here to…"

"If you dare invade my home Korra," Rohan shouted while descending into a fighting stance, his fists clenched and legs wide, "then I will give you a fight you will never forget!"

"No!" Korra shouted, dropping to her knees. "I'm not here to fight! I need help!"

"What could you possibly need my help with?" Rohan asked, his fists loosening.

"I've been…bombarded by memories. Memories from the spirit world. And I need help dealing with them. I feel like they're the key to the memories I lost 21 years ago."

Rohan stood firm, stroking his chin at this rather revealing bit of information. "You lost your memory?"

"I will tell you everything," Korra begged, not rising from her knees, "if you will help me."

Neither spoke for a few moments until Rohan asked another question.

"And you promise you aren't being followed."

"Yes! I went alone on purpose. I feel like my memories are telling me not to trust my advisors and I don't know why."

After another moment of silence, Rohan answered.

"Very well. Come with me. But be warned, if you try to double cross me, any of your men that come on this island will return without the use of their arms and legs."

* * *

The room that Korra and Rohan sat in was dark, save the slivers of light of came in through a few windows, and the candles lit by Rohan and placed on an altar.

"What is this place?" Korra asked.

"This is a room made for meditation. From what I've gathered, the memories you've received originated from the spirit world. But that would beg the question, why would your memories be elsewhere?"

Korra looked at her hands before answering, "I don't know."

"Well, let's fix that then. You see," he began, "memories are often considered to be pieces of data inside the brain. Spiritual memories are similar, except as energy, they can be transferred. For instance, to show a vision."

"So how can we look at it?"

"A spiritual object requires a spirit to observe," Rohan answered. "Surely the Avatar knows how to spirit walk?"

"Of course I do," Korra shot back, remaining in her meditative stance. She waited to enter the spiritual mediation, and sure enough, she felt the lightness that came with being solely in an ethereal form. Next to her, Rohan stood, looking much the same, the old man now a shade of blue and white rather than flesh and bone.

"Good. This should make it easier to access your memories. Now I'm going to touch your head briefly to access those memories."

"You can do that?" Korra asked.

"Like I said before, memories are merely bits of information. Normally we can't access them in the physical world, but here, I can access and observe AHHHH!"

The form of the old master stumbled backwards, but didn't fall as he raised his hand up to Korra. "I'm fine. There's just…quite a lot of information in there. An entire lifetime to be honest. Strange."

"Yeah," Korra mused. "Strange."

Again, Rohan touched Korra's forehead, but this time, he appeared ready, gritting his teeth until finally, a massive amount of images dotted the ceiling of the room, all showing images of her life. Birth, childhood, her training in the South Pole, journeying to Republic City, battles, social gatherings, and countless others. It was, to Korra, overwhelming.

"This is everything," Rohan announced. "Now comes the process of organization."

"How long will that take?"

"Unfortunately I don't have the spiritual equivalent of paralegals to help me out," Rohan noted. "This could take hours. How about we just skip around a bit?"

Korra nodded with a smile, although Rohan's expression continued to remain stern. It was obvious immediately that he didn't trust her, his guard up at all times.

"Here we are. The last memories of this life. Let's find out how you lost those memories in the first place."

The screens began to switch from still images to a moving video as Rohan concentrated. It was an apartment, where she was resting, with an old woman next to her. Her grey hair and wrinkles didn't hide the fact that the woman was Asami Sato, who appeared to be tired after a long day. Asami smiled as the pair shared some tea before getting ready to go to bed.

Then a crash was heard.

"Who are you?!" Asami asked, only for the figure, cloaked in shadow, to stab her. Asami fell to the ground, dead. Korra, at least the Korra in the vision, readied herself for battle, when a second figure stabbed her in the back. She gasped, and looked up.

Both of the attackers looked exactly like she did.

"What the?" the Korra observing the visions asked. "Why do they have my face? Why am I seeing my own death?"

Rohan said nothing at first, but then started to laugh. And laugh. And laugh some more.

"What's so funny?!"

"This explains everything! It explains why you look like Korra, but don't act like the Korra I knew when she was alive! It explains why you 'lost' your memories! Don't you see?"

"See what? Why do they have my face?"

"When I was a child," Rohan began, "my brother Meelo and I saw a mover about a mad doctor who wanted to take over the world, so he made a genetic duplicate of the world's leaders. Clones. Then everything went south when the heroes tried to stop him."

"What are you trying to say?" Korra asked, her voice hushed.

"You aren't the real Korra," Rohan answered, his laughter finally ceasing.

"Then what am I?"

"You're a clone of the real Korra."


	23. Icon: Part II

"That isn't possible!" Korra shouted at Rohan's conclusion. "It's ridiculous!"

"So it would seem," Rohan answered, his stern expression unchanged. "But the memories show two women with Korra's face killing the original. It would also explain why the police never found any evidence of an intruder when Asami was reported dead and you reported 'losing' your memories. As farfetched as it sounds, this is the only plausible explanation for what we just saw."

"That I'm a clone?!"

"And that these memories are from the original Korra, somewhere in the spirit world. Tell me, when did these memories appear to you?"

Korra kept silent for a good minute, looking on at the scene repeating in the images above her. Finally, she responded, but not to Rohan's question.

"These memories could have been faked. Doctored. They wouldn't make sense."

"Perhaps", Rohan answered, stroking his chin again, "perhaps not. But I do have an idea to test their validity."

"That is?"

"We were never close, Korra and I…"

"You mean, 'you and I'."

"Right," Rohan noted, nodding his head, "but we did share memories of the same events. How about we find a happier memory and see if it's as I remember it?"

Korra nodded her consent as the images changed. It was Air Temple Island, and a makeshift stage was set up by the garden with an Oceanside view behind said stage. On the stage, a man in robes presided over a man and a woman. The blue tattoos that covered his head and his arms clashed slightly with the beard on his face and the man's unkempt hair. Still, Rohan smiled at the sight.

"Uncle Bumi."

* * *

"We are gathered here today, on these…s…se…sacred grounds," Bumi fumbled before offering an apology to the couple in front of him, a well built man in a brown suit and black tie standing in front of a dark skinned woman in the traditional yellow and orange formal robes of an Air Bender.

"Sorry, I can't exactly say I've done too many weddings before. Let me try it again."

 **AHEM**.

The couple thankfully paid Bumi's fumbles no mind, beaming all the while.

"We are gathered here today on these sacred grounds to join Opal Bei Fong and Bolin in the sacred bond of matrimony. That's marriage for the rest of you. If anyone should think of a reason that these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The images showed a very large group of people, seated in two sections. On one side, members of Opal's family sat with friends and the like, on the other, members of the Air Nation, friends of Bolin, his brother, and of course, Asami Sato, sitting next to Korra. Predictably, no one had any reason to not wed the pair, who quickly said, "I do", to the traditional questions of marriage when asked.

"Then by the power invested in me as a Master Air Bender and the legal recognition of the United Republic, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Clapping filled the air as Opal and Bolin kissed, the pair walking down the aisle. The popping of sound devices was heard and the group moved inside a temple hall for the reception. No one noticed Asami slightly recoiling at the sound of 'legal recognition of the United Republic," except Korra, who offered a hand to comfort her.

The reception itself was equally lavish, although to just about everyone that wasn't an Air Bender's annoyance, the buffet table was entirely vegetarian. Opal had apparently been quite insistent on it, reasoning that if they were doing an Air Bender wedding on Air Temple Island, then that meant honoring all the traditions of the Air Nomads, even the ones Bolin didn't agree with.

Korra, Asami, and Mako had also promised to take the newlywed Bolin to Won Fire Grill as soon as they were done so he could have a hamburger. A nice, juicy half-pound slab of meat, with all the toppings would more than make up for the rest of the day, and it would probably be the last time the trio saw Bolin before Opal and he went on their honeymoon to Su Oku for the next two weeks. Of course, the trio, while not nearly as eager for meat as Bolin was, would probably help themselves to a burger as well, which is why they agreed to take him in the first place.

The reception itself was lively and full of dancing and music. Tahno, who by this point had become a fairly popular musician, was conducting the band, his upbeat style of play echoing through the chamber halls. Rohan and Meelo were busy looking for sweets and trying to avoid being overly bored, Jinora and Kai shared some small talk with the newlyweds before going to hang out with their friends. And of course, Asami and Korra were the first ones on the dance floor, something that they made it a point to do at every gathering they were at.

The reception ran for several hours, until the guests were tired out. Korra and Asami quickly ushered Bolin away as promised once all the guests took their leave. The sole lament for Korra and Asami about the day was that it was the type of wedding that they would never have for themselves.

* * *

"Exactly as I remember it. No one is out of place. Even the hamburger story was true." Rohan appeared quite satisfied with what he had viewed, convinced that it supported his theory about the source of the memories and the origin of the woman in front of him. Korra however, had a different opinion.

"Big deal!" Korra shouted. "It was a public event involving a famous actor getting married! There were bound to be paparazzi and other guests who could document it!"

"You have a point," Rohan answered as the images shifted around yet again. "Then let's go to one scene that I am sure they couldn't have known about."

Korra's expression looked cross. "What would that be?"

"Tell me," Rohan began, "what did you tell me after my father died?"

Korra looked on for a moment, and then answered, "We didn't speak."

Rather than answering, Rohan focused on the image. It was Korra holding the fist of a teenage Rohan, who looked like he was about to cry. Both Rohan and the Korra from the memory said the same thing.

" **I can never repay what your father did. No one can."**

The Korra next to Rohan dropped to her knees, a look of shock on her face. Rohan turned to her, his stern expression replaced by one of sorrow.

"I don't know how they did it," Rohan began. "But the facts are indisputable. You aren't the real Korra. You're some kind of clone or duplicate. These…memories are from the Spirit World because they came from the real Korra. When did they begin?"

Korra said nothing, but vanished, awakening in her physical body. Rohan did the same as she began walking out.

"Tell me! When did these memories begin?"

"I…I'm leaving," was all Korra could stammer out, before clutching her cap. However, Rohan called behind.

"Please, Korra! Let me help you! If you aren't the original, at least let us find out what you are together!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Korra boarded the ferry, which headed back towards Republic City. He sighed, but then realized there was only one way she could have gotten those memories.

"Tong."

* * *

A clone? That was ridiculous! Those things didn't exist outside of bad movers!

And yet, as Korra sat back in her apartment, the idea that she wasn't the real Korra gnawed at her. It was to be frank, a ridiculous notion. All her life, she was an impostor? It made no sense. There was no way to confirm it.

But then, where did the memories come from? There had to be a reason.

Her guards didn't realize she had slipped away. They had presumed that she was merely lying in bed recovering from her injuries. That didn't stop the calls to her cell phone however. There were twenty messages, all from her inner circle. Han in particular, was very adamant about showing her whatever war-ending weapon he had apparently been having designed for months.

She didn't answer. Korra instead looked out into Republic City, the night sky lit up by countless lights from buildings, vehicles and ads. She looked at the world she was supposed to reshape.

For the first time in decades, she felt doubt. The doubt continued even as she went to sleep.

* * *

 _Number 5 is ready._

 _Good. Begin the memory transfer sequence. Ensure the brain is working normally._

She awoke, unsure of where she was. Only that she was surrounded by glass and metal, almost as if she were in a tube. Why was she here? How did she get here? And was she wearing clothes? She couldn't exactly move her head. She tried to speak, but no sound came out, as if her body didn't know how to form the words.

 _Oh no, Number 5 woke up premature._

 _No big deal. Put in the gas and then start transfer._

Gas flooded the chamber that she was in, and soon everything went white.

* * *

 _Honored Avatar, you're awake!_

"Wha?"

Korra awoke in a bed, having no idea how she got there. She was wearing what appeared to be a hospital gown with a T-shirt and undergarments, looking to her right. A young man with black hair and no facial hair was looking on at her, bowing profusely. He wore the robes of a White Lotus acolyte, meaning that whatever he was here for, it was important.

"Forgive me for being here, but everyone was so worried about when you collapsed."

"Co-llapsed?" Korra asked, her confusion evident.

"Well, yes," the man began. "You collapsed in your apartment. The person you were with died."

Korra looked at the man for a brief moment before coming to a conclusion.

"I…don't remember any of that."

"Well, let me explain. It would do you some good to stretch, right?"

The man, despite his overly formal demeanor, seemed pleasant enough. Korra offered him a smile and stood up from her bed, but not before asking "Do you have anything for me to wear?"

"Of course I…uh…we do!"

* * *

She was unfamiliar with the compound, although according to the man, named Han, it was somewhere in the United Republic, but far away from Republic City proper. It was a very nice building though, an older wooden structure that surrounded a garden in the center of the property. Han stood with her the whole way, trying to smile, but fumbling through his words as if he were embarrassed.

"You lost your memory?"

"Yes," Korra responded. "I remember a lot but it feels like I remember events, names, and dates, not people. I don't even remember what that woman I were doing in the room together."

"Well, according to all public records, you were living together. You two were close friends, and at one point…lovers."

"That sounds silly," Korra responded, only to see Han's face nervously looking towards her.

"You're being serious."

"Yes I am Honored Avatar," Han answered. "But it was announced…you broke off the relationship years ago."

"So why did I live with her? And why can't I remember her?"

"I don't know," Han answered defensively. "But I do know that we need to get you back up to speed. A lot is happening, and the world needs an Avatar."

"Then I need to get to work," Korra declared confidently.

* * *

Korra awoke again, thinking of the dream that she just viewed. The memories lost to her never returned, and as time passed, she was told increasingly that they were less important. What she didn't understand were the images of her in a tube. Could Rohan's ludicrous theory have been correct?

Looking at her hand, she tried to air bend again. Nothing. Then she tried to fire bend. Again, nothing. She shuddered. It would make perfect sense for someone who wasn't the Avatar to only be able to bend one element after all. Which would mean…no, that wasn't possible. None of this was possible.

Her cell phone rang again, and she picked it up. It was Han, of course.

 _Korra, I've been calling you all day. What happened?_

"I've been recovering," Korra answered. "What is it?"

 _The item I wanted to show you is ready. Please come down to the Avatar Affairs building immediately._

Korra didn't answer at first, but after a few cries of "Hello?" responded that she would be there as soon as possible. Nevertheless, she got changed and after informing her bodyguards of where she needed to head, was driven over.

The trip in the back of the sport utility vehicle that was used as her personal transport in Republic City was annoying but bearable. Korra was once again in her little shell, in what was an incredible luxurious vehicle. But the leather seats and television in the backseat didn't distract her from the memories that troubled her so. She couldn't even pay attention to the broadcast, too lost in her own thoughts. But as she saw the people down the street, she realized why everything had bothered her so.

The Realignment was to bring the world together with force. Korra would never want that. She had no desire to rule the world.

* * *

"Han, I trust what you have to show me is important."

"Of course it is, Korra." Moving to the front of the conference room, Han stood by a large monitor designed for teleconferencing or for agents to report in from the field. She could only wonder what he had planned.

"Korra," Han began, "the Avatar Army is ready to march against the Earth Republic and any other army that would oppose the Realignment. But to do this, we need the Avatar herself to lead that army into battle. Hence, I present to you your personal battle mecha, the Icon."

The monitor activated and revealed a purple mecha, absolutely monstrous in comparison to the two Skull Knights at its feet. Its face was that of a demon mask, a plain white except for two wide eyes. She gasped at the sight.

"It's the size of the Colossus!" Korra screamed, stunned. Her memories may have been fractured, but she remembered Kuvira's super weapon clear as day. How could anyone forget that monstrosity?

"Exactly!" Han beamed. "This weapon will allow you to lead an army into battle and command firepower above that of any standard mecha tank! This is far more than a mere gun platform the way the Colossus was!"

"How so?" Korra asked. "The Colossus seems extremely out of date in an age of missiles and advanced mecha tanks." Han laughed at the question.

"The original Colossus was little more than a symbol of terror. In actuality, it was expensive to make, only had one weapon, and was a logistical nightmare to operate. The Icon is designed to project the Avatar's power into battle, enhanced a thousand fold! Observe!"

The screen began switching to various demonstrations of the machine as Han narrated. "First off, its joints are controlled via advanced computer guidance systems while its outer armor is protected by anti-metal bending chemicals, preventing metal benders from sabotaging it. Secondly, it has weapons systems designed to be extension of bending abilities, enhanced a thousand fold. Turbine engines to produce air currents that can blow away any tank, reservoirs of water that can be released via powerful hoses and then manipulated, a sonic weapon that will crack the earth and let your Earth bending move city blocks at a time. And two flamethrowers that will let you incinerate any foe that steps before you! Any one who gets up close will need to deal with anti-personnel repeater cannons attached to the head, a distinct weakness of the Colossus. But should all those fail, and this is my favorite, the chest opens to reveal two Smasher Cannons capable of annihilating any army in front of you!"

Korra stared intently, before asking, "Why purple?"

"Simple," Han replied. "It is a color that is not associated with any of the nations, neither green nor red nor white nor blue. It is unique to us, unique to the Avatar Army and soon, the Avatar Nation, the one nation that will rule this world, its strong hand permanently keeping the world in balance. And once you have led our armies to victory, you shall rule the world as the Avatar, keeper of the balance. And with your permission," Han continued, shutting off the monitor, "I would like to rule by your side."

"What are you saying?" Korra asked, standing up as Han kneeled before her, smiling.

"Korra, Honored Avatar, I have been by your side for the past twenty years, ever since my days as a mere acolyte within White Lotus. I…I have fallen in love with you ever since that time, and I would like to give you the happiness you deserve as the guiding light of the world. I want to give you the family you never had, the one Asami Sato could never give you. And I would like nothing more than to be by your side always, until our final days."

 _Asami Sato,_ was all Korra could think in her mind as Han reached into his uniform and produced a box. Inside of the box was a ring with an absolutely massive diamond adorning it.

"Korra, will you marry me?"

Han was by her side for so long, Korra reasoned, surely he would understand what she was about to say.

"Han," she began, "I cannot lead an army to war. I want to see the world united, but what you suggest would make me a tyrant. And I can't do that. And as for your other proposal…"

She closed the box, and sighed heavily, looking on at the dejected Han, who rose to his feet, adjusting his cape.

"Before I lost my memories, I was living with Asami Sato. We could never be married because of the backlash against same sex marriages. But we were always together. And my heart will always belong to her. So no Han, I will not marry you. What I will do is take a few weeks vacation, and hopefully we will figure out how to unite the world without leading an army to war. I hope you can understand. You are a great friend, but I don't love you. I can't love you."

These were the thoughts of the real Korra. Any doubt that she wasn't Korra was erased as she looked on at Han. She offered him a smile and an outstretched hand, waiting for a response.

"Can we still be friends?"

 **SLASH!**

A sharp pain went across her throat, soon followed by it becoming incredibly difficult to breathe. Korra fell to the ground, covering her neck as the blood drained from her body. She looked up at Han, trying to raise her arm up to the man. His face was furious.

"AFTER EVERYTHING I SACRIFICED FOR YOU, YOU REJECT ME FOR SOME PHANTOM MEMORY OF A…A LESBIAN?!" Han's face with contorted with fury and sadness, looking on at Korra even as she lay dying. "Well, here's something to take with you to your grave. You're not the real Korra. You're a clone. That's right, a copy of the original Korra, who we had killed! But I did love you. And you broke my heart. I won't let the next clone do that to me. Trust me, I'm going to make sure that the next clone doesn't even remember Asami Sato's name!"

Korra struggled mightily, knowing that she had one ace up her sleeve left. As the power began to flow through her, a small cut pierced her body, just below the heart, and the power of the Avatar State, the power she had hoped to summon, vanished into nothingness.

"Hyper mode, right? The SV power source that let you simulate the Avatar State was right there. You see now, that you are nothing but an imitation? You were nothing, and your successor will be better. Because she will love me, not a long dead woman!"

Her hand fell to the ground as the last of her strength left her body. But she did so with a slight smile. Even if just for two days, she was the real Korra.

The real Korra would have died for her beliefs rather than living a lie.

* * *

 _Hon…Korra, are you awake?_

 _Han?_

Korra woke up from her bed, the sheets covering her body to the head as she looked to her right. Her faithful friend, the Inquisitor stood by her side, smiling at her.

"You're awake! Thank goodness. I was worried the damage to you was more severe than I thought. But it seems to have had quite the interesting effect."

"Effect?" Korra asked, only for Han to produce a mirror. Korra gasped when she looked at it.

She looked younger. Younger than she had in decades. In fact, she didn't look at a day over 25 despite being chronologically over a hundred years old.

"Han, w…what happened?" Korra asked. "The last thing I remember was you showing me the Icon…and you..."

Han smiled, getting on his knees in front of the bed as Korra stood up from it, the nightgown she wore covering her body from head to toe. He produced a box, and inside of it was a ring with an absolutely massive diamond.

"Your work has kept you from ever raising a family, but now, as the guiding light of the world, you deserve to be happy. And I would like to share that happiness with you. Korra, will you marry me?"

She looked down at the proposing Inquisitor, her hand in front of her mouth in sheer surprise. That surprised however, turned to a smile as she looked on at the ring.

"Han, of course I will! I…I love you! I've always loved you! I was just waiting for you to actually ask!"

Han smiled, slipping the ring on Korra's finger and standing up, his expression practically beaming with joy. "I love you too Korra. And together, we will make the world a better place, starting with annihilating the Earth Republic military."

"Yes," Korra answered, just before wrapping her arms around Han and kissing the mustachioed Inquisitor. "Yes we will. We will bring balance to the world. Permanent balance."


	24. Traversal

It wasn't the sort of bleeding, obvious, childlike affection that would drive everyone around him insane. And he certainty wasn't bragging about it to everyone. But as he looked on during the Sun Dragons/Turtle Ducks match, Shing definitely noticed Tong was…different. His demeanor was more relaxed. His snarky humor was more genuine rather than an attempt to hide some inner pain. And he was clearly enjoying himself alongside Kushina and the others.

This would have been great, but Shing couldn't help but wonder how it would help Tong embrace his role as the Avatar. He was happy to cheer with the rest of the crowd over the match, occasionally quipping about a player's performance. And his attitude made the whole group more relaxed, Amit and Tashi more than happy to snark at Leena over how the Turtle Ducks were taking a significant lead over the Sun Dragons between bites of popcorn.

So why was he worried that Tong was still missing the big picture? A powerful BOOM that followed a rather sublime play from the Ducks' fire bender, Kwok Jia, nicely accented his thoughts. That explosion sealed the round for the Turtle Ducks as both teams' players headed off to the sidelines for a rest.

With the players resting, the crowd's attention turned to the massive screens that hung in the center of the arena, showing various actors and celebrities at courtside to the crowd while the commentary team narrated, presumably to show off the IPBL's importance and popularity. Shing however, was surprised when the camera turned to Tong and Kushina.

 _And who can forget these two heroes?_ Blared over the loudspeaker. _These two saved the Fire Nation from New Ozai terrorists and an army of dark spirits! I wish I had half the guts they had!_

The crowd cheered for the pair as the camera continued to pan over them. Tong smiled, looking at Kushina, then the camera. "Should we?"

"You like the attention, don't you?"

Tong looked at Kushina and smiled, holding her close and kissing her on the cheek to which the crowd offered more cheers. "I like a lot of things about it."

Shing merely shook his head at the sight, but he was unsure of what would finally make Tong embrace his role. Or maybe he was overthinking it. He didn't know. His faces at the images weren't completely unnoticed however.

"You alright?" Leena asked, looking over at the stern Air Nomad.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. I'm fine," he remarked. "How come?"

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind. Wanna talk about it after the game?"

"Sure."

He didn't know what Leena's angle was, other than that the Fire Nation probably had a vested interest in White Lotus not taking over the world. What he did know is that it would be at least another day before they headed to the South Pole, so he had plenty of time to make Tong realize his destiny.

* * *

The vehicles moved quickly under the cover of darkness. Carrier trucks, artillery vehicles, mecha tanks, and other support vehicles all adorned the desert roads, moving as quickly as their engines would take them. They were one of many groups, all set to meet in one location.

 _Sand bender 1, this is Command. Request ETA to launch point._

From inside of the larger tractor-trailers, a group of officers sat down at a conference table, overhearing the message.

"Command, this is Sand Bender 1. Estimated ETA to launch point T-minus 39 hours. How are our counterparts doing?"

 _Sand bender's 2-5 are all on track to meet you. Once you are at rendezvous point, you are go for final operation._

"Understood Command," replied one of the officers, before clicking a button on a telephone and turning to address the other officers seated.

"You're all well aware of the sheer volume of air defenses in Ba Sing Se," he began. The job of our ground forces is simple. We're going to punch an opening in the wall and then move into the city and disable those defenses. Once they're out of the way, we'll have free range to attack strategic targets within the city and land additional forces via airdrop. Keep in mind that we are committing the majority of our forces to this offensive. If this fails, we will not get another shot at this for some time, if ever."

The officers all saluted, before returning to their individual planning. They all wore the heavy burden of what they were about to face.

* * *

It almost seemed like déjà vu, being at a bar hotel with the tall Fire Nation woman looking on at him. Unlike the last time, Shing saw fit not to down a bottle of cactus juice, instead discussing his concerns over a simple Earth Republic lager. At least Leena was more than willing to lend a friendly ear to his concerns, minding her own drink as Shing relayed his concerns.

"You see, I thought it would be a good idea to get them together," he began. "He's only had a crush on Kushina since we were kids. But I don't think he cares about being the Avatar. He cares about her…"

"Does he care about you?" Leena asked. "Are you worried that Tong being the Avatar is needed to validate you? You have your own hopes and dreams, right?"

"Well, yeah," Shing answered, "but I was told to make Tong realize his destiny by my master. I thought Kushina could help him realize that. But he seems more interested in his new girl than he does Avatar business. You know? I thought he'd see the big picture, and all he sees is us still."

"It's been a day!" Leena shot back. "Give it time. Focus on yourself for a change."

Shing sighed, looking on the smiling woman. "What do you mean by that?"

"A few things, cutie," Leena answered, taking another swig of her drink. "First is that he's probably focused on the immediate stuff right now, like going to the South Pole and getting proof of what White Lotus is up to. And we should all be too. I've looked over the coordinates. We're going to be traveling pretty far into the tundra."

"I'll pack a coat. What's the second?"

"Second is I think you need to think about what you want, before trying to save the world by yourself."

"So what's your stake in all of this?" Shing asked, looking on at his companion. She offered a laugh.

"Easy. Stop the bad guys from taking over the world, find who wanted to kill innocent people, and maybe have some fun along the way."

"So what's fun for you?"

* * *

After a day of resting, mostly consisting of Tong letting some injuries heal and the group being sure to pack warmly for their trek, the time for the flight had finally arrived. The group stood in front of their transport, a private jet that Tomorrow Technologies had loaned out to fly to the South Pole, where they would meet Leena's contact and then begin the long, arduous trek to the Grand Archive. And while Shing was more relaxed than he had been thanks to the Fire Nation woman's help, he still felt a bit of worry. He couldn't be sure if Tong would willingly take the title of Avatar, or if exposing White Lotus to the world and ending their schemes of global conquest would be an excuse to slip back into the shadows, leaving the world without an Avatar.

The world needed an Avatar, and well, he knew Tong would be a great one. He just had to make the idiot realize it.

"Ready to go?" Kushina asked the group. Tong of course, extended his arm to her.

"After you."

She laughed, but then took the arm as both boarded the plane. Shing followed after, hoping that Leena was right about all this.

"Don't worry though, Southern Water Tribe members are pretty friendly," she announced to the group.

"Well the vacation's over for now," Amit noted. "Maybe when this is done I can take a real one to Ember Island."

"Only if you go during the spring months," Leena answered, boarding the plane. "Less tourists and the weather is just right."

* * *

 _Who's there?! I'm serious! I swear, I'm going to AAAAK!_

 _Heheheh. You really are an idiot, my dear, sweet…_

 _YOU!? Why?_

 _Because you need to die. You don't think I would have done it earlier if I had a reason? I always hated you._

 _You'll…pay for this._

 _No I won't. Now stand still, the knife won't work on its own._

* * *

Tong awoke from his brief rest inside the plane, the two by two bucket seats holding everyone as they tried to relax before reaching the South Pole. It was the dream again with the sounds but no visuals, but this was probably the last one. The story that they told, of a man who did everything to hide his inner pain, ends with him being killed by the woman he could never get over? That was the definition of tragic. He then looked to his shoulder and saw Kushina resting on it, her mouth slightly open, creating a rather cute image. At least he was sure now he wouldn't end up like that bitter man.

Unfortunately, the sight outside the window was nowhere near as cute. Six white jet fighters, three on each side with triangle shaped wings, flew alongside the chartered plane. The voice from the radio was loud enough to wake up everyone on board.

 _ATTENTION UNIDENTIFIED PLANE. YOU ARE VIOLATING SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE AIRSPACE. EITHER FOLLOW US TO A DESIGNATED LANDING AREA OR BE SHOT DOWN. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING._

The awakening group looked on at the pursuing jet fighters wide eyed, all except Leena, who at the pilot seat, went to the nearby radio.

"Understood. We are ready to be escorted." The group all looked on at her before she merely announced, "I was expecting that."

"Nice people, huh?" Shing shot back.

"Maybe a bit…defensive," Leena responded over the intercom.

With the command received, the plane followed the jets to a runway by a small building. Half the jets landed first, soon taxiing themselves towards a large elevator that went underground. Given the force of the winds in the South Pole, it made perfect sense to keep the craft underground. The chartered jet followed soon after, landing on the runway. Leena, still unfazed by the incident, waited for the door to open before getting ready to step outside.

"See? No problem on all. Now let's go out to…"

 **CLICK**

The sound of multiple Shocker rifles being readied interrupted Leena's speech as six men in white camouflage aimed their weapons at the door. That was in addition to six water benders who had balls of water ready to strike as well. Everyone kept their hands raised until a man emerged from the group in front of the plane.

"The Fire Asp comes to visit me."

The man was wearing a blue and grey uniform, its thick padding designed to keep him warm and only exposing his face. His brown eyes darted through the group even as the wind ruffled his dark skin and black hair. Leena couldn't help but smile at the statement.

"Eel pup."

The man offered a laugh, ordering his men to stand down. "Come on over here! I got word you were coming two days ago! Bring your friends!"

"Everyone," Leena began. "This is Ulva. Southern Water Tribe Defense Force."

"Nice to meet you all," Ulva began. "I take the lot of you aren't Fire Nation agents, so what the briefing said was true. How about we all go inside and have some hot tea? We have a lot to plan for."

* * *

"Good tea," Tong noted. Tashi, who had been quiet most of the trip, nodded enthusiastically with that assessment. The dark grey liquid was poured into everyone's cups inside the rather small briefing room, seats surrounding a metal table with a computer monitor on top of it. Ulva didn't seem to mind the enclosed setting, taking a sip of his tea as he looked on at his guests.

"It's Masala Chai," Ulva responded. "The spices are served with milk and sugar. It's really good compared to the instant crap you usually get from the tea bags. And considering how it is outside, sorely needed. It's a shame the ingredients are so hard to get in this frost rat hole. It's why I only serve it when we have guests."

"See?" Leena assured the group with a smile, "Southern Water Tribe members are very nice."

"Wouldn't know," Tong replied nonchalantly. "Went to college in the Northern Water Tribe. Can't argue with this at least," he added, having another sip of the chai tea.

"I do want to apologize about our little welcoming committee by the way. The presence of Avatar Affairs troops under our noses has had our defense force on high alert. And when we found out they built a humongous fortress under our noses, well let's just say the brass are…antsy."

"So what kind of trip are we looking at?" Kushina asked.

"A long one, deep in the cold," Ulva answered. "The area that the coordinates pointed to is by the Spirit Portal, so we've been unable to get a good reading on the location."

"Spirit Portal?" Shing asked, to which Ulva nodded. He looked on at the group and then smiled. An idea formed in his head about the Spirit Portal, specifically, how to use it to finally push Tong over the edge of realizing his Avatar duties. He smiled, before returning to his tea.

"And as for the scout team we sent on foot, well, just look at the video."

The monitor sprang to life showing a group of men dressed like the white coat clad soldiers outside. What followed were sounds of chaos and panic as icicles and water hammered the soldiers, the sounds of Shocker fire and panicked calls doing nothing to halt the advance of the interlopers. A few dropped after a small object seemed to whiz by their head, but the footage was too blurred to make sense of it.

Kushina noticed it immediately, her thoughts immediately turning to the late Yudhisthir. "Did that look like what I think it did?"

"This was recorded two days ago," Ulva noted as the video kept playing. "Something out there is very concerned with keeping the area a secret, and anyone who goes to that area usually doesn't come back. I can spare a few of my men for this, but the majority need to guard the outpost, especially if Avatar Affairs is slipping in weapons and supplies behind our backs."

Amit looked on their host, summarizing the situation.

"So we need to go to an area that your technology can't get a clear signal too, with almost no backup, probably to be assaulted by stealth commandos who are guarding the place and hiding in the snow? And that's before we actually infiltrate the building."

Ulva paused, sipping his tea, before replying "In so many words."

"Cool! When do we leave?"

* * *

The trip of the Earth Republic convoy continued without pause until everyone felt it. A loud shockwave rattled the convoy as lookouts noticed an immediate problem.

"One of the artillery vehicles got flipped!" It was obvious who was responsible for such an action.

"Benders! Get the scouts out immediately!"

A group of Ox mecha tanks raced towards the south of the convoy where vehicles were being flipped into the air and landing as dented metal. Unfortunately for the saboteurs, the force necessary to flip the tanks made them easily noticeable.

"I got em!" shouted one pilot.

Ten seconds later, a Shocker cannon annihilated the group of benders while the rest of the pilots started looking for any others. Despite how quickly the engagement was over, the issue was not overlooked inside the command truck. A grey haired man looked over the maps he was given, clutching his fist.

"We lost three vehicles to a random ambush and we've still got three hours before the rendezvous. Bad enough that we lost the spirit vine cannon when Garuiya got wiped out, but now they're trying to chip away at us before we can even launch the attack!"

"We need to slow down," one of the other officers, a brown haired man noted. "Send the mecha tanks ahead to sweep for benders and other ambush zones then move up." However, the commander shook his head.

"We're on a tight deadline as it is. Once Ba Sing Se notices the huge army at its doorstep, we're going to facing a lot more than a few errant Earth benders. We need to move faster. We'll move so fast by the time they realize we're there to ambush it'll be too late."

"I'll give the order."

With the order given, the entire convoy began moving as quickly as their engines would take them, speeding past the brief skirmish and the unusable vehicles.

* * *

The cold was bitter, but the group pressed forward relentlessly regardless. They weren't numerous, but they were at the very least, well dressed and well equipped. To Kushina's joy, the base was able to spare a Polar Warrior mecha tank to travel on the mission, the white camouflage-wearing unit walking through the snow along with the others while its pilot was able to relax in a heated cockpit. To the annoyance of the four soldiers Ulva had bought with him, Kushina had been quite insistent on piloting the machine herself, something Ulva only agreed to because of the extremely unusual situation and the fact that she wasn't a bender, but a trained pilot.

"But sir, I'm not a water bender."

"But you are a trained soldier within the Defense Force that knows how to handle a Shocker rifle," Ulva snapped back. "So suck it up." The sulking soldier, along with his comrades, zipped up their hoods and put wind masks over their face to protect from the cold. It would also help to hide their disgruntled looks.

Out in the frozen plains, the group couldn't help but notice how similar the surroundings all were.

"Just snow, snow, and more snow," Amit noted, only for Tashi to nudge him with an elbow.

"Of course there's snow. Be lucky we actually have a guide."

"Don't thank me just yet," Ulva responded. "We're coming up on the area our last scout team lost contact. No sign of them though."

"And that spirit portal energy is messing with the instruments," Kushina added. "We're not going to be able to spot them in advance at this rate."

"This isn't foreboding," Leena sulked, all the while keeping a small flame in her hand to stay warm. Tong however, was more optimistic.

"Hey, once we find the place, the rest should be easy. We can finally get to the bottom of what White Lotus is up to."

"Agreed. Let's keep moving."

While the group was fairly talkative, Shing elected to remain silent. He knew that he would only get one opportunity, if that to send Tong to the Spirit World via the portal. It was a long shot, but the Spirit World could provide Tong with the sort of realization of his responsibilities as the Avatar. All he had to do was make him take a little…detour, and ensure he came out the other end safe. But when?

Shing's thoughts about how to have his friend embrace his Avatar duties were interrupted by the entire group standing still. Tong grimaced, having put his foot down and turning to the group.

"We're not alone. Everyone be alert."

"For what?" one of the soldiers asked. A powerful force dragging him into the snow, kicking and screaming answered his question. Two of the other soldiers fired their weapons towards whatever grabbed him, but to no avail.

"We're surrounded!" Ulva shouted, readying a water ball. "Defensive positions!"

There wasn't even enough time to do that. From the snow emerged a dozen or so men clad in grey from head to toe, leaping into the air before using water bending to rain down icicles on the group. Tong reacted quickly, forming a barrier of earth to defend them as everyone ran for cover, returning fire. A few fireballs and Shocker rounds found their target on two of the assailants, dropping them to the ground. The remaining masked men soon descended back into the snow, hiding from the group.

"Where are they?"

Tong was soon answered by a dozen strong hands clasping around his arms and legs, all of them trying to drag him into the snow.

* * *

The windows of the palace showed Ba Sing Se's upper district in all of their glory. The people on the streets moved along their way, traffic moved as well as it could in a crowded city, and from his vantage point, everything seemed normal. No one could suspect that in 24 hours the Earth Republic hoped to make the city a warzone. Emperor Xing smiled at the sight. He hoped the deal he cut would keep it as peaceful as it currently looked.

"So for the second time in less than a hundred years, the barbarians are the gates of Ba Sing Se," he proclaimed. "I have signed our agreement. Are your forces ready, Avatar Korra?"

"They are ready, Regent Xing," Korra responded, smiling. "I'll lead them into battle myself. I promise that we'll wipe them all out once they enter the city."

"Good. My men don't know about the deal as of yet. I don't want to look weak in front of them unless I have no other choice."

"I understand completely. But you're going to need our help, or you wouldn't have signed your kingdom to be under our new nation."

"Yes, I know," Xing answered, sighing heavily. He then turned back to Korra, grinning.

"I must say, I didn't believe it was you at first. You look far…younger."

"Thank you," Korra responded, before showing off the massive diamond on her right ring finger, "but I'm engaged."


	25. A War Large and Small

Tong struggled against the multiple arms trying to drag him into the snow. He thrashed and bucked against the force, but there were simply too many to struggle against. Luckily for him, Tashi and Amit didn't ignore his peril.

"Tashi! Wind tunnel!"

"Got it!"

A powerful gust of wind shot by Tong, sending him and the men trying to drag him beneath the snow into the air, struggling to regain their balance. Unfortunately for the assailants, they were easy pickings for a grinning Amit.

Forceful gusts of wind hammered each water bender, sending them flying. One however, dodged, only for Tong to hammer him with an air current of his own, sending the grey and blue clad warrior crashing to the ground. He soon followed, using air currents to lower his descent. This did not go unnoticed by Ulva.

"What the hell? How can you air bend? You're an Earth bender!"

"Yes," Tong answered. "And an air bender, and a water bender, and a fire bender."

"How?!"

"It was need-to-know," Leena interrupted. "Just don't use the 'A' word."

"You mean that's he's the Ava…"

"I'm not," Tong insisted, not noticing Shing's grimace behind them. Instead, he turned to Amit and Tashi, bowing slightly. "You guys saved me. Thanks."

"No problem," Amit answered with a chuckle. "We've been working that one for a while. Right Tashi?" The tattooed woman smiled, nodding in affirmation.

"They're still alive," one of the soldiers shot back. "You didn't kill them." Amit's response was short and curt.

"Air Nomads don't kill."

"Well, at least everyone is OK," Ulva reasoned, interrupting any potential argument between Amit and his men. "This is definitely an usual situation, but the fact is, we need all the firepower we can get forward. Now, we need to reach our goal before more of those idiots come back. Considering the area we need to cover, I suggest we split into two teams. Leena, you, the woman in the mecha tank and my unit will form up one team. Tong, you and your Air Bender friends will form up the second."

Tong's objection was immediate. "I'd rather go with Kushina, and make sure nothing happens." Ulva shook his head at the suggestion.

"We need the Polar Warrior's instruments to guide us. You have that earth bending sonar. I need to look after my generously loaned property," Ulva noted with a snicker, "and it makes no sense to put all our trackers on one team."

"Well…"

"It'll be fine," Kushina interrupted, the mechanical arm of her mecha tank waving towards Tong. "I think I'm pretty safe in this thing against a bunch of water benders hiding underneath the snow. I didn't even get a chance to use the flamethrower yet."

Although he was still upset with the idea, Tong reluctantly agreed to lead a separate team. Ulva nodded, handing him a small yellow and black communicator.

"Short range communicator. Should work just fine even with the Spirit Portal interference. Just let us know when you find something. Given the cold, I'm sure you'll want to head inside sooner rather than later."

"I'll be alright," Tong answered. "It's about as bad as it was back in college."

"Northern Water Tribe, right?" Ulva asked.

"Yeah, Eska University of Higher Arts."

"Eska U eh?" Ulva asked with a bit of surprise in his voice. "Had some friends who went there. Can't imagine there were a ton of Earth State students."

"You'd be surprised," Tong answered, even as he was putting the communicator away and preparing to set out. "When I first got there, my senior was from the Earth Republic. I think he went to the army after he graduated to pay off his tuition."

* * *

"Ah-CHOO!"

 _Gross!_

"Sorry guys", a brown haired man answered as he quickly blew his nose inside the cockpit of his Ox. "Sniffles, you know?"

 _Just don't get it on the monitor Girial,_ a voice shot over the intercom. _Last thing we need is you out of commission right as we're about to move on the wall._

"It's fine," Girial responded. "We're going on another adventure, right?"

Truth be told, Girial was absolutely sick of the 'adventures' that he and his squadron, the Green Shoulders, had been in over the past six months since Emperor Xing and the Earth Kingdom invaded the Earth Republic as part of his 'One Earth Kingdom' plan.. There was the border village that guerillas were using as a base while disguising themselves as ordinary townsfolk, there was the Earth Kingdom's attempt to arm a missile with a Spirit Vine warhead, and there was the prototype mobile weapon that was a cross between a tank and a spider. And who could forget the trek through the desert being pursued by Tay Youngrui, the Fox Antelope of the desert?

But this was the end. This would be the last battle. The war would be won if they could complete this mission.

"OK kids," Girial announced into his PA. "We're part of the advanced vanguard on the ground. The Stone Hawks are going to pound the wall of Ba Sing Se with an initial barrage, and that's when we move in. Expect HEAVY resistance. You can bet Earth benders are going to try to drop boulders on us from the top of the wall, and the majority Xing's elite forces will be guarding the wall itself. We need to hold off the enemy advance while our artillery gets into position. Any questions?"

 _Two,_ a voice shot back through the intercom. _First, where do you get off calling us kids? You're the same age as half the squad! Second, when do we get started?_

"Now."

From the back of a carrier truck, a dozen Ox mecha tanks in desert camouflage sped away from the main force. They were soon be joined by numerous other squadrons, all racing towards the impossibly high walls of Ba Sing Se. The walls themselves were impossibly high, a hundred meters tall, solid stone and metal with dozens if not hundreds of missile batteries and gun emplacements on top of the walls themselves, capable of repelling any intruder. Or so the theory went.

The sight of jets falling back from their initial bombing run was visible overhead, but no one paid it any mind. What they did pay mind to were the squadrons of domed Duck Bat mecha emerging from the walls of Ba Sing Se to intercept them.

"5 seconds to enemy contact! 4, 3, 2, 1, engage at will!"

 _YATTE YARUZE!_

Pressing a button, Girial went to work immediately, firing off anti MT missiles as the legion of enemies in front of him advanced towards their allies. Other members of his squadron chose to move in closer towards the enemy, blasting them with Shocker cannon fire. The enemy of course, didn't just stand still, returning fire and nailing several allied units' dead center, destroying them.

"Keep tight!" Girial yelled. "Artillery needs to get into position!"

The members of his squadron kept tight, doing their best to make sure that not a single mecha or soldier got past them. It seemed simple enough as they continued to press forward, their machines standing in the shadow of the Great Wall.

Then from out of nowhere a massive boulder landed on a mecha tank, flattening the machine completely. Looking up, Garial saw the cause.

"They're dropping boulders! Scatter!"

 _We can't aim that high!_

"Leave the benders to the air team! We need to stop their ground advance until the artillery is ready!"

More rocks began to drop from the top of the wall like hail as the mecha tanks on both sides did their best to get out of the line of fire. The end result was a chaotic storm of violence, pilots taking shots whenever a free moment was available to do so. A Duck Bat approached Garial from behind only to have its head knocked off by a punch from a nearby ally.

"Thanks Hau."

 _That's one,_ Hau replied over the intercom, right before speeding towards another batch of advancing mecha tanks. The remaining units followed suit, pursuing the enemy. Overhead, some relief from the hail of boulders came when six Earth Republic jet fighters dropped bombs directly on the Earth Bender's fortified positions on top of the wall, allowing the ground units to focus on halting the onslaught of enemy mecha. The action was not without consequence, as a barrage of missiles from the undamaged sections of the wall careened towards the enemy fighters, destroying four as the remaining two scuttled away.

 _Our line is holding for now boss!_

"Then let's keep it that way!" Garial replied, even as he fired his cannon at an errant mecha tank. More however, soon moved in to replace their fallen friend as the Green Shoulders fired as fast as their weapons allowed, hoping to stem the advance.

* * *

The wind had thankfully died down, allowing the two teams to move forward, only concerning themselves with the presence of enemies waiting to ambush them. Shing, Tong, Amit and Tashi were heading towards the portal while Kushina, Leena, Ulva and his men were heading west of it. Little was said in either group, until finally Tashi broke the silence.

"Is there anyone out here?"

 _Most of the settlements in both the Northern and Southern Water tribes are located close to the ocean. Dates from the times when the only way to get over was by ship. Living out here, even now, is both lonely and dangerous, not a combination many want to endure._

"I see," Tashi replied into the communicator, her voice muted.

 _SPEAK UP. I can't hear you over the intercom if you mumble._ Ulva's voice was clearly annoyed by the girl's quiet tone.

Tashi spoke again, her voice much more assertive. "I said, 'I see'".

 _And what about you? You're a long way from the Air Temples._

Shing contemplated interrupting with a snarky remark about the Air Temples, but decided not to. When not thinking about how to make Tong embrace the role of the Avatar, he focused on the isolation of his people. More importantly, he had a plan to spread the teachings of his people, to spread their techniques. He just hoped that he survived the ensuing battles to actually execute that plan.

"Air Nomads are often sent on missions to the outside world as a rite of passage or to protect our interests," Tashi answered. "It's a bit different from how things used to be according to the old books. Back then, all Air Benders were part of the Air Nation. Today, that's not the case. We need to go out into the world when we can to learn about it and how it affects us."

"That and the whole 'no-killing' thing limits the amount of people who want to hire us for spy work," Amit added.

 _I'll admit, this is my first time running into Air Nomads out here. I've acted as a liaison for the UR and the Fire Nation, but never the Air Nomads. You been at this long?_

"This is only my…"

 _SPEAK UP._

"This is only my second mission. The first was…my right of passage. In Ba Sing Se."

It was obvious from the louder but harsher tone of her words that the incident in Ba Sing Se still haunted Tashi. Amit offered his partner a pat on a shoulder, which she smiled at. Ulva however, in the hopes of keeping the conversation going to avoid traveling in complete silence, tried to shift the topic.

 _Anyone waiting for you back home? Boy? Girl?_

"No, no one like that," she replied. She breathed heavily, thankful that Ulva couldn't see her blush through the communicator. "Working for the Air Nation has been my primary focus."

 _Ah. Well, let's keep moving. I'm going into radio silence for now. Call if you find something concrete. I'll do the same._

"He didn't even talk to me," Amit noted, sulking all the while. Tashi and Tong both offered a laugh at the irritated Air Nomad, but he thankfully took it good-naturedly. All the while, Shing smiled, but was lost in his own thoughts even as they approached the spirit portal.

Their trek continued uninterrupted for several minutes until they saw a single man, standing in front of them. Unlike the earlier assailants, he wore no mask. His black hair and white skin identified him as a member of the Earth State. That and the two boulders that floated next to him, proof he was an Earth bender.

"Tong! I know it's you!"

Tong's initial reaction was more of confusion than fear. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"You killed my father! By the name of the Black Bull Bird, I will have my revenge on you!"

"Black…Bull Bird?! Yudhisthir?"

"I'm his son!" the man yelled. "My name is Sudhir! And I'm going to kill you!"

* * *

"Anything?" Leena asked.

"The UV scans are picking up a massive heat signature in the middle of the area," Kushina noted. "Whatever it is, the amount of snow on top of it would indicate it's been here for decades."

Ulva was confused by the assumption. "Decades? Then why did we never notice it before? Why would they keep it out here for so long?"

"Dunno. Either way, whatever it is, it's resting underground. The Spirit Portal is still messing with the radar though, so I can't confirm just how big it is."

Leena nodded. "We should go in for a closer look then, see if this is what we're looking for."

"Well it's our best lead by a mile," Ulva responded, only to hear the sound of icicles whizzing through the air.

"Another ambush! Get down!"

Kushina took the initiative immediately, charging forward in front of the group, using the mecha tank as a shield for the team. The sharpened pieces of ice cracked harmlessly against the reinforced metal of the Polar Warrior. With the team safe, the three remaining soldiers emerged from behind the unit and began firing into the snow. Kushina joined in until Ulva put his hand up.

"It's pointless if we can't see the enemy!"

The weapons ceased with that command as the group began looking around for their target. Soon afterwards, they found them.

Two men leapt from the snow to attack, only for the mecha tank and Leena to meet them with a concentrated burst of flame. Both fell, their unmoving bodies buried underneath the snow. Kushina grunted, still not exactly comfortable with the idea of killing. Like in Capital City, she kept telling herself that it was self-defense, which relieved her nerves.

"There's definitely more than two out here!" one of the soldiers yelled. Another body leaping from the ground confirmed that suspicion, as another of the assassins emerged from the snow, holding what appeared to be a rocket launcher and aiming it right at the group.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Leena groaned.

* * *

"I didn't kill your father!" Tong shouted, looking on at his opponent standing in front of the Spirit Portal. "I sent him to jail so he could answer for his crimes! He died in prison!"

"Yes, I had to end his life after you took his honor," Sudhir answered. "I am the third Black Bull Bird, and I won't let our legacy be tarnished! Besides, we're the same, you and I, so don't even think about being self-righteous in front of me!"

"I didn't kill him!" Tong re-stated. "You did! You just said you did!"

"You may as well have! You left my father a husk and I had to end his life mercifully! And since Korra couldn't defeat you, I will!"

"If Korra couldn't beat him, what chance do you have?" taunted Amit.

"Years of experience under a great teacher have given me more than a chance!" Sudhir boasted. "A teacher you took from me! Now I'll kill you the same way I killed Dr. Mao!"

The wind howled as Tong heard the words "The same way I killed Dr. Mao." They echoed in his mind with a blank expression until he screamed into the sky a cry of rage, his yell echoing through the tundra as he ran forward towards Sudhir. The words kept echoing through his mind all the while.

 _The same way I killed Dr. Mao!_

"YOU! YOU KILLED MY DAD!"

"What of it? I told you, we're the same! You and I both fight for our families!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"That's my line!" Sudhir yelled, tossing the two boulders at Tong, who batted them aside. A barrage of fireballs soon approached the new Black Bull Bird, who avoided them by sinking into the snow and earth.

"COWARD!" Tong yelled. "COME OUT AND FIGHT!"

"Tong," Shing yelled to his partner. "Don't be an idiot! This guy's a sniper, remember? He's taking his time to scout us out!"

 _Actually you're wrong. I want to kill you as soon as possible._

Turning around, Shing noticed a black barrel pointing at his head, Sudhir's snow covered face wearing a sinister grin. The Air Nomad trembled at what he faced.

"For my father, DIE!"

* * *

The battle in front of the great walls of Ba Sing Se was relentless and without mercy. Casualties on both sides were beginning to mount as debris littered the battlefield. Knocking down a unit in front of him with a bayonet punch, Girial gritted his teeth, until finally word came through his radio.

 _Artillery units are in place. Advanced vanguard, fall back to point B!_

"Everyone, fall back while firing! We're about to break down the doors!"

 _YATTE YARUZE!_

The mecha tanks began speeding backwards, firing all the while until they saw the first volley. Powerful shells of explosives smashed into the wall, leaving massive dents in the wall. A second volley widened the cracks until finally the wall of stone and metal gave way under the force of the explosions, an enormous chunk of it collapsing into dust along with the various defense emplacements on top of it. Cheering rang out through the army, until the dust cleared from the wall.

A massive purple mecha with a white face and thick armor began walking out of the artillery created hole, moving forward towards the invading army. The machine dwarfed everything else present on the battlefield, Earth Kingdom and Earth Republic alike.

"What in the name of everything sacred is that thing?!"

"It's the size of the Colossus!"

"Who cares?!" Destroy it!"

The order was to be given from the command vehicles in the center of the armada to train all artillery onto the new enemy, when a stern warning was heard from behind.

"Commander! New readings from behind our force! Rear vanguard is getting annihilated!"

"WHAT?!"

Chaos soon reigned supreme as powerful beams of purple energy ripped through the mecha tanks in the rear while a legion of black mecha tanks began advancing on the Earth Republic's main force. The purple mecha meanwhile, raised its arms as it continued to advance towards the frontal vanguard. A powerful voice echoed through its speakers.

 _ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS OF THE EARTH STATE. THIS IS AVATAR KORRA. THE EARTH KINGDOM HAS AGREED TO A HISTORIC DEAL WHERE THE ENTIRE EARTH STATE WILL BE UNITED. THEY WILL BE UNITED AS THE EARTH REGENCY UNDER MY NEW GOVERNMENT, THE AVATAR NATION. THE REGENCY WILL BE GOVERNED UNDER THE CONTROL OF REGENT XING, WHO WILL ANSWER TO ME._

"Who died and made you Queen Bitch?!" asked a random pilot, but of course Korra didn't hear it.

 _YOU HAVE ONE CHANCE TO SURRENDER UNCONDITIONALLY, OR FACE TOTAL ANNIHILATION. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED._

"Sir, we need a decision now!" someone yelled inside the command center. The commander looked at the video feed of the massive mecha and slammed his fist on the table in front of him.

"Destroy that thing and engage those new units immediately! I don't care who's piloting it!"

Jet fighters began charging towards Korra's mecha, only for her to smile. From the head of the unit, repeater cannon fire blasted apart two of the approaching jets while small gusts of wind easily swatted aside the missiles they fired, sending them crashing harmlessly towards the ground.

"Well ladies and gentlemen," she ordered through an internal PA system, "it seems that the Earth Republic needs to be disciplined into knowing who the true rulers of the world are. I hope everyone is ready to show these brats what we can do."

The colossal mecha arms pointed forward as two fans started up on them. From the fans emerged hurricane force winds that sent the smaller mecha tanks and vehicles flying. Men and their machines braced themselves against the gales that swept from the mecha, even as the legion of black mecha tanks advanced from the rear. From inside his Ox, which dug itself into the ground to avoid being flipped over, Girial grimaced at the super robot that appeared more powerful than an entire army of Airbenders.

"Korra's our last enemy? How do we fight that…thing?!"


	26. The Road Ahead

Shing began to turn around, his skin crawling on its ends, and his blood running ice cold. He felt the presence of the man behind him, his weapon, the barrel with the metal inside it, pointed right him. There was nothing he could do but brace himself for what he hoped would be a very quick demise.

"For my father, DIE!"

Had Sudhir had another second to fire, it would have been the end. A fireball however, saved Shing at the last second as Sudhir was forced to duck out of the way.

"Tong!" Shing's shout was unacknowledged, as Tong stared down his opponent with a look of pure unfathomable rage.

"Your fight is with me!"

Sudhir offered a callous smirk in response. "That's the idea. We're the same, like I said. I fight for MY family!"

The assassin wasted no time in attacking, first with a blast from his metal rod, and second with a trio of boulders lifted and hurled directly at Tong with earth bending. Tong ducked out of the way of the bullet, blasting each boulder with a fireball. All the while, Sudhir taunted his opponent, firing verbal taunts along with his physical attacks, as they kept moving.

"You think this is coincidence? I've been following you since the beginning! Since you confronted Yuza! You haven't been so much able as to use the bathroom without my knowing!"

Even from the sidelines, as the pair continued to exchange metal and fireballs, Amit could only go "Eww."

"Then why wait till now to kill me?" Tong asked. "If you were so good, you could have killed me immediately!"

"You weren't my only assignment!" Sudhir answered. "And this wasn't personal until what you did to my father!"

"I think you're full of crap, and that your family isn't nearly as good as you think they were!"

Sudhir was livid at that comment. "How dare you!"

Icicles rose from the snow to strike Sudhir, but he was able to dodge all of them, slipping back underground and rising in an attempt to surprise Tong. He was undeterred by the assassin, attempting to hit him with anything that wasn't nailed to the ground, fire, earth, ice, or wind, as long as it connected, it didn't matter. Which made Sudhir's ability to dodge Tong's attacks all the more frustrating.

"They keep moving!" Tashi exclaimed. "I can't hit him without hitting Tong!"

The pair continued to exchange shots at each other, moving closer and closer to the Spirit Portal. It did not go unnoticed by Shing. He had been taking in the battle and Sudhir's brazen, sudden declaration when he noticed his opportunity.

Shing could only whisper "Tong, forgive me," before making his move.

The gust of wind caught both of them by surprise. Neither could say anything before heading into the spirit portal. Wherever they ended up, Shing could only hope that Tong would emerge from it the Avatar that the world needed.

"What happened?" Amit asked.

"He must have dragged the guy into the Spirit Portal!" Shing yelled. "Come on! We need to go before more of that guy's men show up!"

"But what about Tong?"

"He'll be fine! We need to go now!"

Amit and Tashi nodded immediately, oblivious to Shing's actions. The trio continued to move through the tundra, looking for the Grand Archive. If nothing else, when he emerged, Shing was hoping that he would have the information Tong needed.

* * *

It had seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the Earth Kingdom would fall after today. That once the walls of Ba Sing Se fell, that nothing could stop the Earth Republic army from bringing the long and senseless conflict to a final, merciful end. That was before the purple monstrosity emerged from the broken wall, attacking the army with the power of an army of Air Benders. A mecha piloted by Avatar Korra herself, who dramatically and fearlessly claimed the entire Earth State for her own, under the rule of the so-called 'Avatar Nation.' It was clear that the Earth Kingdom was only going to be the first nation forcibly drafted into Korra's new empire.

But as bizarre as it all seemed, the raw, unrelenting power of the giant mecha in front of the Earth Republic army couldn't be denied. Missiles, cannon fire, mortar shells, and the assaulting machines themselves were all blown away by the mechanical monstrosity's air bending abilities. Or rather, the gigantic turbofans that enhanced the air bending abilities of the person inside of the machine to superhuman levels. The reaction of Garial's squadron was one of desperation.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! DESTROY THAT THING!"

The few cannon blasts and shells that were able to get through the vortex of air that surrounded the machine were shrugged off by the thick armor of the purple leviathan. The rest were merely swatted aside by the winds that surrounded the machine, flying off in random directions utterly harmlessly.

 _Weapons are ineffective! We can't punch through that barrier!_

"Keep firing!"

The attack from what remained the advanced vanguard was relentless. From her position in the command room of the Icon, Korra saw them not as a danger, but as mere fleas. Pests to be wiped out.

"Engage the flame throwers."

Two massive fireballs emerged from the flamethrowers, destroying a legion of tanks as Garial and the surviving member's of the Green Shoulders ran off. But the fire didn't merely dissipate. The fireballs stayed in midair, floating.

And then they moved towards the center of the armed force. An entire line of artillery vehicles was melted into scrap before the flames finally died out.

"Green Shoulder 1 to Command! Advanced vanguard is getting annihilated! We need to fall back!"

 _This is Command! Rear Vanguard has been wiped out by a new legion of enemies. We've been boxed in! Request assistance!_

"Ground support is impossible!" Garial yelled. "We need air support!"

 _Our bomber fleet is moving in! Try to ho…ZZZZZ_

No further response emerged from the mobile command center, causing Garial to fear the worst. But up ahead, he saw something that gave him a slight sense of hope.

A group of Earth benders, riding on motorcycles, drove in front of the crippled mecha tank battalion. Leaping off their vehicles, the benders, in near perfect sync, created a chasm that the leg of the massive robot fell into, causing it to fall off-balance and onto all fours. Following that assault, a bomber from overhead released its payload, hoping to annihilate the machine where it stood. A large cloud of smoke kicked up right before the first bomb landed, but twenty others, creating a massive explosion, soon joined it.

 _Hey! We need to retreat!_

"If we retreat now, Hui" Garial responded, "we are NOT going to get another shot at this!"

 _Our artillery's been annihilated on both ends and I can't raise Command! We need to fall back! I don't think that bombing run took that thing out, and we don't have enough forces left to take the city at the rate we're losing them!_

Breathing heavily, Garial clutched the controls of his Ox, and sighed.

"Green Shoulders, prepare to retreat. Tell the naval force that was supposed to cross through the river needs to fall back immediately as well."

 _WHAT?!_ shouted an unfamiliar voice. _This is Captain Toh Hulin, Ice Ferret squadron. We can't retreat!_

"If we don't, we'll be destroyed like the rear vanguard was!"

 _LOOK!_

The smoke cleared from the bombing run towards the purple mecha, revealing a massive dome of earth and stone that shielded the machine. With the bombing over, the mecha emerged from its protective cocoon, as the Earth benders desperately tried to trip it again with another crack of the earth. Inside, Korra's reaction was one of disgust.

"Now you die."

Another massive pillar of flame launched from the machine, incinerating the Earth benders and the machines that stood close to where the dome was. Garial could only wince as the flames darted towards him.

"What…power."

* * *

The rocket careened towards Ulva and the others, the group shocked at what was approaching. Finally, Leena took action, releasing a stream of flame towards it, destroying it before it could hit them.

The explosion forced everyone to brace themselves for the impact, but they were unharmed. Unfortunately, the guerilla himself was gone.

"Where?" Leena asked, until she turned around and saw the man right next to her, ready to attack with an icicle barrage.

"GOTCHA!"

The man never got the chance to attack. He was lifted into the air by Kushina's mecha tank and swung rather violently into the snow, knocking him unconscious and snapping his arm.

"No time to waste!" Ulva shouted as soon as the man was confirmed down. "Let's head for that heat signature!"

The group continued to move forward, the enemy thankfully having stopped following them for the moment. Finally they appeared in front of what appeared to be a small garage entrance in the midst of the snow. Shing, Amit, and Tashi all stood next to it, looking on at the group.

"About time you guys got here!" Shing yelled at the group. "Blow it open!"

Instead of doing so however, Kushina merely asked, "Where's Tong?"

"Open the door!"

Gritting her teeth, Kushina fired her cannon through the door until it fell down, allowing the group access inside. The inside of the 'garage' was little more than a hallway with metal walls leaning towards an industrial elevator, presumably for people and machinery alike. After disembarking from her mecha, Kushina asked the same question once again.

"Where's Tong?"

"The Spirit World…maybe. We were attacked. He dragged the man into the Spirit Portal and we didn't pursue. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Fine?" Kushina didn't say anything else, just looking at Shing for some kind of explanation.

"Well yeah. He needed to go there anyway. He's the Avatar, and I figured that a journey to the Spirit World would be what he needed."

"And if something happens to him because you didn't go after your best friend?"

"He's my best friend, but he's also the Avatar. I couldn't help him. You understand, right?"

Shing sighed. It was an unusual circumstance, true, but everyone understood that stopping the false Avatar and getting the true one was their biggest priority. And if Tong didn't want to be the Avatar, well maybe the next reincarnation would. He knew Kushina would understand.

 **CLICK**

He didn't expect Kushina to ram him against a wall and point a pistol towards his head.

"Give me a reason. GIVE ME A DAMN REASON!"

"What do you care?" Shing said, a notable bit of fear starting to creep into his voice. "You only acted like you liked him out of pity, right?" This answer only caused Kushina to press the barrel of the pistol right next to his head. Amit and Tashi moved closer, only for her to stare at them, a look of pure rage in her eyes.

"BACK OFF OR I'll BLOW HIS BRAINS OUT! And you, you're going to go with me to find Tong or on the count of 3, I swear…"

"He's the Avatar!"

" **1!"**

"He…he needs to realize his destiny! It was the only way! I know it's unusual, but…"

" **2!"**

"ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!"

The authoritarian voice of Leena caused Kushina to grimace and lower her weapon. Reluctantly, she turned back towards the team, but not before shooting a look of pure hatred at Shing.

"That's my boyfriend out in the Spirit World thanks to you. And if anything happens to him, I will kill you…"

"I said enough," Leena re-stated. "I have no idea what the hell happened, but Tong isn't defenseless. Right now our priority is to find out what they're holding here and get it to someone who can do something about it. That requires all of us being alive."

"I have to agree," Ulva added. "I've already lost one of my men finding this place, I don't want to lose any more."

The group collectively began to head for the elevator, Kushina holstering her pistol as she followed Ulva's soldiers. Shing breathed heavily, turning to Leena.

"Thank you so…"

"Save it," Leena snapped back. "I was wrong about you."

* * *

Both of them felt the gust of wind shoot them through the portal, but it wasn't enough to stop their fight. Tong and Sudhir grappled with each other even as they floated through the wind, throwing punches and knees with savage rage.

Finally, the pair landed in what appeared to be a forest, surrounded by trees and spirits, which quickly ran off from the pair. Sudhir wasted no time, Earth bending a pair of boulders at Tong that he was able to deflect. Both men were breathing heavily as Tong looked down at his opponent.

"You can earth bend in the spirit world?"

"Of course I can!" Sudhir answered. "We went through that portal. Our bodies are still here, right?"

Tong nodded, realizing that he never made the distinction the one time he did try to use the Spirit Portal as opposed to the times he tried to meditate into it. But his misunderstanding of bending in the Spirit World paled to the question that nagged at him.

"Why? Why did you kill my dad?"

Sudhir shook his head at the question, but smiled. "Orders."

"Orders?"

"I'll give you the short version of the story. My masters, the Black Petals, knew that Dr. Mao had been hiding you for years. They wanted to know where you had gone, and if you had been…agreeable to the generous deal that they had offered."

"Which was?"

"The rest of your lives under house arrest, alive, but powerless to stop the Realignment."

"What…what is the Realignment?"

"The grand plan to reshape the world and permanently balance it!" Sudhir proudly declared, even as he loaded a metal shell into a short rod. "It's why I joined Avatar Affairs and the White Lotus!"

Tong took in every word with a deep scowl. "So you acted on orders to kill him. The real killers are these…Black Petals."

"The Black Petals, the leaders of White Lotus, yes," Sudhir boasted. "They will reshape the world, and your father didn't want to play along. So he got what had coming."

"So you're just a worthless hitman like your dad."

"My father was a great man!"

"So was mine," Tong shot back.

"It's like I said before Tong, we're the same, you and I. And to make the world a better place, you have to die."

"Well I'm not going to die. I'm going to find the Black Petals and stop this Realignment."

"No," Sudhir noted, raising the metal rod in his right hand. "You won't."

Tong saw the weapon, and did the only thing he could.

 **BLAM!**

"Gg…huurk."

A small hole was present in Sudhir's torso, blood streaming out. The last thing he saw before falling face first in the forest was Tong's right arm raised directly in front of him, smoke emanating from the gauntlet on his forearm.

Exhausted, Tong dropped to his knees, looking on at the fallen assassin. There was no joy in what he had just done for two reasons. The first was that people that ordered his father killed were still alive, the supreme leaders of White Lotus, the organization that wanted to bring the world under their dictatorship. The second was the constant words that Sudhir kept repeating.

 _We're the same, you and I._

Rising to his feet, Tong removed his jacket, covering Sudhir and leaving on only a green T-shirt with his black pants. He then picked up Sudhir and began to leave the forest, heading for a clearing. Sudhir was not a good man, but at the very least, he deserved a proper burial.

* * *

The battlefield was cleared of any further resistance. Skull Knights and Duck Bats patrolled the ruins of the area, while Earth Benders quickly began working on fixing the collapsed wall of Ba Sing Se. Walking above all of it was the Icon, the massive purple mecha that single handedly turned the tide of the battle. Inside the machine, Korra was looking at both her handiwork and the communication screen on her right, the command post tall enough for her stand in while two co-pilots in their own chairs monitored activity below her.

"Han, the Icon worked better than we could have planned. We wiped out the entirety of the invading force with minimal effort. The world will have to respect us now!"

 _We have won the first battle, Korra, but the war is still going on. Until the Icon stands above Zaofu and President Bahl turns over the rest of the Earth Republic to us, we still have work to do._

"If it's as easy as today," Korra boasted, flexing a bicep, "then I'll be home very soon."

 _I'm looking forward to seeing you when all is said and done._

"Me too Han. Love you!"

 _Love you too Korra._

The monitor shut off as Korra beamed at her accomplishments, the two support pilots grinning at the happiness that was practically radiating from her. They didn't even notice the mecha stepping on a half melted Ox tank with a painted green shoulder, crushing the machine into completely unrecognizable scrap.

* * *

As he began to dig up the grave, using earth bending to move the dirt and soil, Tong didn't even think about the Tormentor that stalked him every time he entered the Spirit World. He wasn't even thinking about his friends. All he could think of was the man's words before he died.

"I'm not the same as you," he muttered. "I'm not a killer. I have someone I need to protect."

 _You seem very confident of yourself, yet you keep repeating the same words._

"Who?"

Tong turned around, but the Tormentor wasn't there. It was instead, a stout looking old man with a baldhead but a thick, white beard. His smile was fairly pleasant and nonthreatening. For a moment, Tong was reminded of his own father, before turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"This man kept saying I was the same as he. But this man was a murderer who killed for money. He killed my father because he was ordered to."

"You don't kill for money, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Then why worry so much about what he told you?"

As he tossed the body of Sudhir into the dug plot, Tong answered, "Because a part of me is worried he's right."

The old man offered no words at first, only a few groans to indicate he was deep in thought, allowing Tong the time to fill the hole and leave the assassin buried. Taking a single flower, he left it on top of the plot, marking the grave. As he kneeled before it, the old man placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You are in deep pain, but not for the reasons you believe. Maybe I can help you."

"You can?" Tong asked.

"You wouldn't be the first lost soul I've helped since I came to this place. I'm going to be visiting some friends for tea. Why don't you join me?"

"Would they mind?" Tong asked. The old man suppressed a hearty laugh at this.

"My tea is legendary for how good it is! They'd understand."

"Then yes," Tong answered with a smile, standing up, "I will go with you old man. Name's Tong by the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Tong," the old man responded. "My name is Iroh. Now let's get going. We don't want to be late."


	27. Revelations

The elevator began to go down slowly and steadily towards it destination, its angular slope not betraying what lay below. While on it, the group rested, Ulva and three soldiers removing their hoods, while Kushina looked on at Leena with an expression of regret.

"I'm sorry for that little…outburst."

"It's alright," Leena answered. "I'm sure Tong's fine, although why Shing didn't bother to go help him, I have no idea."

The shorter woman shook her head. "You got me. The nerve of that guy, leaves him out there alone and then tells me I was just feeling sorry for him?!"

"Not the case," was all Leena could respond with.

"Trust me, if I don't want someone to touch me," she began, making a fist for emphasis, "he won't touch me. Besides, what the hell does Shing know about actually being with a girl? He's practically married to the Air Temple!"

"Something tells me Air Nomads aren't the greatest at expressing themselves. Although pulling a gun on him may not have been the best thing to do out here."

"I…I don't want to lose him," Kushina answered. "We made each other a promise. That we would keep each other safe."

"We need to focus on finding what White Lotus is keeping down in this little hall of mystery for now," Leena replied, re-asserting their main goal. "We'll worry about Shing afterwards."

Kushina nodded, and then turned to the unmasked soldiers, holding her hand on the back of her head. "Sorry about making you guys walk. You alright?"

"Eh, just fine," shot back one shoulder, his dark skin and black hair neatly cut even considering it was under a hood for several hours. "We've been through worse out here."

"Yeah," another soldier replied, looking on at Kushina with a chuckle. "To be honest, it's more than what usually happens around here."

"Well," Ulva added, "at least the mecha is still in one piece. Those things aren't exactly cheap you know."

"You guys seemed to have enough jets," Kushina noted, but Ulva shook his head.

"Anything further is Southern Water Tribe national secret. You understand, I hope."

Raising her eyebrows, Kushina answered with a simple, "Right," and then looked forward along with the rest of the group.

During all of this, Shing didn't speak; merely shaking his head at what he thought was the best decision. He wasn't expecting to met with life-threatening anger and scorn for trying to make Tong realize his destiny. He didn't want to be the Avatar. He had to be forced into it. Right? But yet neither Tashi nor Amit spoke to him, and Leena had already given the Air Bender the cold shoulder after intervening to save his life. Did he send his best friend to die?

Shing's train of thought was interrupted as the elevator reached the bottom floor, with three men in blue and white robes standing in front of them, their grey hair and pointed beards making them look extremely similar, were it not for their varying skin tones and different eyes. Everyone reached for their weapons before the three men raised their arms, their palms facing forward.

"There will be no need for that here unless you wish to destroy this archive," began the man in the middle, his green eyes gazing at the group. We do not hide the contents of this place. Besides, you've seen the guards outside. If we were intent on violence, a trap would have been sprung."

"You killed a dozen of my men over the past week!" Ulva shouted, only for the man on the right to look on at them with his blue eyes.

"No, the guardians of this place did. We are the Archivists of White Lotus, and we do not discriminate on whom we share our knowledge with. So to keep the unwanted out, White Lotus has its guardians patrolling the facility. They are aware of our vows."

Leena nodded her head at this declaration. "OK, then we would like to see the contents of your archive. Where can we do so?"

Smiling at the Fire Nation woman, the man on the right closed his brown eyes before motioning to the group. "Please, follow us. So long as you do not damage the Grand Archive, you are free to look at anything you would like."

* * *

The walk seemed pleasant enough, with the green fields and the various spirits moving to and fro, but Tong couldn't take a step without looking for the spirit that tormented him so. The clouds hung overhead, dark and foreboding, which only heightened his anxiety. The spirits themselves, creatures that human eyes couldn't recognize, appeared tense and ready to strike. Iroh easily noticed his tension as the pair continued to walk.

"You keep expecting to be attacked here. You shouldn't unless you desire a fight."

"Let's just say I'm not exactly welcomed here," Tong explained. His companion shook his head.

"I've explained this to others, but in the Spirit World, your emotions become your reality. If you give out nothing but tension and fear, you will receive nothing but tension and fear. Try to relax, and it will make the journey far easier."

Nodding at the advice of the old man, Tong closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reassuring himself that if the Tormentor truly wanted to attack, he would have done so by now. He was safe.

And when he opened them, he saw a bright sky, the sun shining on his face. The various spirits went back to their routes, no longer on edge and waiting to strike. He was stunned.

"Ho…how did I do that?"

"It's as I said," Iroh explained. "Your emotions become your reality in this place. Especially for the Avatar, the bridge between two worlds."

"I'm not the Avatar," Tong firmly stated, but Iroh merely shook his head.

"You can lie to yourself, and you can lie to others, but not to me, Avatar Tong. But I suspect that it is that doubt which led you here in the first place."

"Doubt? I know what I have to do. I need to find the people who killed my dad."

"Is that all you desire? Revenge?"

Tong didn't reply, although Iroh's smile didn't fade. "You are not the first Avatar to doubt their place in the world. Nor will you be the last. Now come, just over this hill."

The pair continued to walk over the hill until they happened upon a single story brown cottage, with a well-kept wooden table outside, along with seats for at least eight people. Over the table stood a tree, providing anyone sitting down with ample shade. From the red doors of the house emerged a middle-aged woman, her short black hair and yellow sundress flowing in the breeze as she offered a smile to the visitors.

"Iroh! I'm so glad you came! I didn't realize you were bringing company though…"

"I'll leave if it's a bother," Tong offered, but the woman shook her head.

"Nonsense! You're more than welcome to sit down for a bit. Iroh was going to be making tea for us."

Tong bowed respectfully towards the woman. "You're very kind, Miss…"

"Missus, actually," the woman corrected. "Beifong. Opal Beifong."

Tong was clearly confused by the woman's declaration. "Bei-fong?" She smiled at the confused, almost somewhat awed tone of her visitor.

"Oh, you've heard of us!"

"Who hasn't?!" Tong yelled. "The Beifong's are a family of heroes, dating back to the Hundred Year War! You…you're regarded as legends!"

Opal only responded with a smile at Tong's awestruck declaration. "You can see why we moved to this little place now. It's far more…quaint than where we used to be, and it's a welcome change from what we were used to." Turning back towards the house, Opal yelled "BOLIN! Iroh's here! And he bought a guest! Come out and say hello!"

"Bolin?" While Iroh just stood patiently and waited, Tong appeared dumbstruck. The feeling only increased when the rather stout, fair skinned man emerged from the cottage, holding what appeared to be a plate of cookies of all things.

"Did Iroh say he wanted the cookies or the crackers with the tea?" he asked, before seeing the guests in front of the house. "Oh, hello there."

"This…this is amazing!" Tong yelled, before going up to Bolin, who was clearly taken aback by this guest's outburst and curiosity. "The history books said you were amazing! How can you be here? I mean, I fought the guy who killed you! There's so much I want to ask you!"

"Slow down!" Bolin shouted, putting his hands up to indicate how overwhelmed he was. "It's always nice to meet a fan, but I wasn't expecting visitors out here! And what do you mean about 'guy who killed me?'"

"Tong," Iroh interrupted, "I'm going to prepare the tea. Perhaps it is best if you explain your tale from the beginning to our hosts."

Breathing heavily, Tong nodded, unsure of where his burst of near fanboyish enthusiasm came from. Both Bolin and Opal sat down at the table after putting down the tray of cookies, where Tong joined them.

"OK," Tong began, breathing deeply. "My full name is Tong Mao…"

He was about to say, 'super-soldier', 'Specialist', or some other pejorative, but when Iroh looked at Tong, his expression stern; the Earth Republic man found himself unable to lie any more.

"My full name is Tong Mao, and I am the Avatar."

Both Bolin and Opal stared at Tong wide-eyed, taking in what he just said. It was Opal who spoke first.

"The Avatar? The one after Korra?"

"It's a very long story," Tong explained. "May I have a cookie first?"

* * *

The halls of the archive were filled with people, tomes, and black towers that Kushina recognized as computer servers. They all underscored the sheer size of the facility, its ceiling stretching at least a hundred feet into the air. All over, the men in robes worked endlessly, examining books, typing information into one of hundreds of computer terminals in front of the towers, or scanning information into machines nearby said towers.

"This place is amazing," Kushina noted in sheer awe of her surroundings. "How did you build something this big in the South Pole?"

"Many years ago," one of the robe-clad guides began, "a man within our order journeyed to the Spirit World, where he found the library kept by Wong Shi Tong. According to his journals, Wong Shi Tong was arrogant and dismissive of humans, stating they were not allowed in his library. Our archivist challenged Wong Shi Tong, claiming that he could use technology to create a greater archive than the Spirit Library. It happened to coincide with the White Lotus' desire to have a central repository for their information."

"What was Wong Shi Tong's reaction?" Tashi asked.

"The journals of the archivist say that after cursing out the computer terminal we were using back then, he conceded that we had a significant amount of information, but that it lacked the charm of his Spirit Library and was therefore inferior. They then say the archivist went into a tirade about how the spirits always demanded respect from humans while never offering the same, and banned spirits from this place. That ban," he added, "was lifted when Wong Shi Tong lifted the one against humans on his library. Ten years later."

"Huh," Amit noted. "Someone was sensitive."

"We are very proud of what we have done here, despite White Lotus', shall we say, 'demands,'' the man continued. "This is the greatest repository of knowledge in the world. It is a shame we get so few visitors." No one bothered to tell the monks that there were water-bending assassins in the snow that tried to kill visitors, nor that nations might be upset with their military secrets on display for all to see.

The group continued to walk until they were led to a room that was completely white, with ceramic floors and stainless steel walls. By the wall, or rather, instead of a wall was a massive monitor with a desk in front of it, holding a keyboard and a mouse. Numerous metal seats with cushions were in front of the machine, creating an inviting, if unusual area to perform work. Cameras were built into the monitor as well. Leena couldn't help but be taken aback by the architecture.

"This room looks very…white."

"As is all knowledge," the brown-eyed man answered. "The white represents the purity of what is here. It is the application of the knowledge that is either good or evil."

The group all looked at each other before Kushina sat down, pressing a button on the keyboard, watching the monitor spring to life. Simple blue text appeared on a white background, saying _Please Insert a Search Topic._ Looking at her hosts, the three men merely moved their arms as if to say, "Go ahead." Nodding, Kushina put in her first topic.

 _Korra._

Dozens of topics appeared on the screen ranging from _Korra, Biography_ to _Korra, News Article_ to _Korra, Legal Cases._ One topic however, stuck out immediately.

"Korra II?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Ulva asked. Kushina was already ahead of him, clicking the topic. What followed were links to dozens if not hundreds of reports, and most telling, a series of videos. Clicking one labeled "Project Introduction," Kushina watched as a video covered the feed, revealing the face of an old man with thin white hair and thick spectacles.

"Hello. My name is Bu Quinfan, the current Moon Fish of the Black Petals. And if you are seeing this message, it means that our initial attempts to bring Korra over to our cause have failed. Most notably, my agents have begun to isolate Korra from her circle of friends by eliminating them one by one, but at this point in time, she has been rather steadfast about not taking a more…active role in how the world is run."

"Who is this guy?" Amit asked, only for the video to pause. A monotone female voice began to speak.

"Bu Quinfan. Former Moon Fish of the Black Petals. Current status – Deceased."

Everyone turned to the monks before the blue-eyed monk offered an explanation.

"Microphones have audio translation equipment. If you have any questions about a video or article, just ask the machine directly."

"Okay," Kushina noted, her tone still filled with confusion. "Who are the Black Petals?"

"Black Petals. The ruling council within White Lotus following 185 AG."

The answers were all here. The problem for the group was that they didn't know what questions to ask.

"All right, enough of this," Ulva interrupted. "Korra's personal life isn't going to help any of us. We need to find out what Avatar Affairs has on the Water Tribe."

"After the Fire Nation," Leena interjected. "I need to know who organized the assault on Capital City."

"That's not as important, Fire Asp. They've built this thing under our noses, what else could they have? I mean, there could be a whole army ready to march on the Southern Water Tribe!"

"An army already marched on Capital City!" Leena exclaimed.

"They're responsible for the death of numerous senior members of the Air Nation as well!" Shing yelled. "I need to find out why!" Ulva's reaction was one of annoyance.

"Oh shut up, the adults are talking."

"Hey, just because you work for a government doesn't give you the right to talk to us that way!" Tashi protested.

"No, that's what the men with guns are for!" Ulva replied.

The group continued to bicker about exactly what they needed to find in the archive, each of them focused on some personal goal rather than the issue at hand. It was getting outright obnoxious as Kushina tried to get a word, but was drowned out. Finally, she couldn't take any more.

 **EVERYBODY SHUT UP!**

The entire group turned towards the yelling Kushina, who stared at all of them with a cross gaze.

"You don't get it, do you? The same guy, the same source, is manipulating you all and you're too busy worrying about who did this thing to you! You're missing the forest for the trees! Now I'm going to find out exactly what happened, and you're all going to help! Leena, get something to write with. I need you to create a timeline of when all this crap was made and what they did."

"Since when am I your secretary?" Leena asked, only for Kushina to look her square in the eyes.

"Since NOW. Grab some paper. You have the neatest handwriting in the group."

Turning to Ulva and his men while Leena grabbed some paper and a pen, Kushina asked, "Do you have anything to record video with?"

"Well yeah," one of the men answered. "Our phones have camcorders that…"

"Good. I need you to record any video that comes up. We'll need proof if we're going to do anything with this information."

"But what about…"

"Shing, you shut the hell up," Kushina interjected. "Only reason I haven't dragged you by the nose into the spirit portal yet is because this takes priority." The Air Nomad said nothing, just lowering his head in shame.

"And you three," Kushina finished, looking at the archivists, "get me some coffee. Black."

"Coffee?" one of the archivists asked.

"You have a fortress under that South Pole that cost trillions of yuans or billions of woolongs to create depending where you were shopping."

 _Woolong – Official currency of the United Republic after 200 AG. The currency was commissioned following rapid devaluation of the yuan when the Earth Kingdom began printing excess amounts in order to pay off its debts._

"How do I shut it up?" Kushina asked, a clear look of annoyance on her face.

One of the monks responded, "Just stay 'End speech.'" With those words, the computer ceased discussing the history of the woolong.

"Thanks. Anyway, you're telling me you don't have a coffee machine in a break room somewhere in this place? Coffee, black."

With everyone in their respective positions, Kushina began looking at all the varying reports from the very beginning. She was going to figure out what Avatar Affairs had planned, and most importantly, why.

The first report was pulled up immediately. The date - 184 AG.

"My name is Bu Quinfan, and I am writing this message as the first part of what I hope will eventually lead the world to peace, a project my sect of the Red Lotus has called the "Realignment." You see, Zaheer and his followers were fools. Absolute chaos cannot bring balance to the world. Only absolute, permanent order can bring permanent balance and true peace to the world…"

* * *

"I was born in the Earth Republic," Tong began as he took a bite of the cookie that Bolin had bought out. "Mom…died when I was young. My dad, a medical doctor, raised me. Everything seemed ordinary until from what I remember, about six? That's when the men approached my father. Said that I had a great destiny, but had to hide from those who wanted to destroy me."

Tong didn't question why he was telling three complete strangers his life story when he had done everything to hide this story from others in the past. But with the people across from him being the dearly departed and an old man that could seemingly detect that he was the Avatar instantly, any desire to lie went out the window. For their part, the trio was attentive, listening to Tong pour his heart out.

"What followed after that was going to school across the world. 'You have a great destiny', I kept getting told, 'but no one can know who you are, or you will be destroyed.' Funny how that never happened to Miss "I'm the Avatar, you gotta deal with it," he added, a clear hint of scorn in his voice.

"You know," Bolin interrupted, "Korra was a really good friend of mine. I don't appreciate you talking about her that way."

"Someone with Korra's face has been trying to kill me over the past few months," Tong answered. "Her and I fought in a duel a few days ago and we nearly killed each other."

"But that wasn't the real Korra," Opal noted. "You're taking your anger out on the real Korra when she would probably be just as mad at an impostor." Tong nodded at this, Opal's logic perfectly sound.

"I'm sorry if I offended you," he added, while bowing his head respectfully.

"Your anger, although with cause, is misdirected," Iroh added, pouring everyone a cup of tea from a stone pot. "But please, continue."

Sipping the tea in front of him, Tong continued his story.

"The men who kept saying I had a great destiny claimed they were part of a group called 'White Lotus', and that it had been split apart into those who wanted to help the Avatar, and those who wanted power for themselves. But it didn't take me long to realize that most of the world…wanted power for itself. They didn't need a new Avatar. Korra was just fine. And she appeared untouchable. I was convinced that I would need to spend the rest of my life hiding, the rug pulled out from underneath me. Do you have any idea what it's like to be told as a kid that you're being trained for this great, no, this monumental destiny and then to slowly realize that it's a load of crap? It wasn't like this was just something a family member told me every now and then either. I was forced to move every four years so I could master bending and learn about the culture of each tribe. I was even taught meditation into the Spirit Realm, for all the good that did."

"What's wrong with the Spirit Realm?" Opal asked. "You seem pretty comfortable here so far."

"No, this is lovely," Tong reassured his hosts while sipping Iroh's tea and looking up at the clear blue sky. "But every time I've come here, I've been attacked by a spirit that refuses to let me speak to Korra…the real Korra. It says that the Avatar is a murderer. This is the first time I've been able to stay in the Spirit World for more than five minutes without being attacked."

"I don't like this spirit very much," Bolin scoffed. "Sounds like a jerk."

"In so many words. So," Tong continued, "when I was in college," Tong continued, "I got word from my dad. It was he couldn't come to the graduation ceremony, and that I should just forget about being the Avatar for my own safety."

"One week later, I found out he was killed. And after I graduated, I've been hunting down the people responsible ever since. That includes…" he added, breathing deeply, "the man who killed you, and his son, who killed my dad on orders from others."

Surprisingly enough, Bolin and Opal took the news that Tong fought the man who killed them in surprising stride. "Can't say I'm sorry to see him go," Bolin began, "but this place isn't so bad. Weather's nice, neighbors are friendly, and I get plenty of time with the people I love. Right honey?"

"Oh come on, you're making me blush," Opal answered, even as Bolin playfully rubbed his nose against his wife's cheek, kissing her neck.

"You see?" Iroh began, sipping his tea. "Good things can sometimes come from the worst tragedies. Rather than being angry at fate, the wise man does his best to take the most of the situation. Surely something positive has come from this."

"Well," Tong answered, blushing as he did so, "I met a friend of mine from childhood, and she grew up. I love her, and…oh come, do I have to?"

"It's sweet," Opal interjected, smiling. "You met someone you love? Does she like you too?"

"Despite my stupidity…yes. Which is why I want to protect her."

Iroh smiled at this. "So you could win over someone to your side. Why couldn't you do the same as an Avatar, especially if the one claiming to be Korra is using power for her own ends?"

"It's a little harder than that."

"Only if you look at it as such."

The foursome continued to enjoy their tea for a bit, Tong trying to ask Bolin about his film career for a brief moment, when the winds began to pick up. Tong immediately grimaced.

"He's here. I knew it. I need to go." However, as he stood up, Iroh grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Tong, you've already faced your past admirably. But this is only the first step. You must confront this fear if you ever expect to be made truly whole."

 _ **I TOLD YOU NEVER TO RETURN TO THIS PLACE. HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO THESE PEOPLE?!**_

The Tormentor stood in front of them, the same bizarre, fearsome aura surrounding the dark spirit's form. Bolin looked on, shocked.

"Is that?"

It was then that it all made sense to Tong.

"Everyone stand back," Tong announced, standing from his seat.

"Tong!" Iroh shouted. "This is not a foe that can be defeated with physical force!"

"I know," Tong replied. "Isn't that right, Mako? Or should I say, Mako and Asami Sato?"

Both Opal and Bolin were stunned at this declaration. "WHAT?!"


	28. Mako, Korra, Asami: Closure

The Tormentor looked on at Tong, no expression visible on its transparent body. However, the way it seemed to back away, to Tong, indicated shock.

 _ **WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF MAKO AND ASAMI?**_

"Simple," Tong answered. "Or rather, not so simple. You see, I just thought you hated me…"

 _ **I HATE THE AVATAR!**_

"But why?" Tong asked.

From the table, an utterly confused Bolin and Opal looked on. They had gotten used to the oddities of the Spirit World quite well and became fond of their new home, which is probably why unlike many spirits they didn't simply rest. But every now and then a surprise came straight out of nowhere.

Their guest was one of those surprises. This…dark spirit, more silhouette than solid form was another.

"I'll admit, at first I thought you just hated me because I did something. Then it hit me the last time we fought. When we hit each other, your memories transferred to me. Or rather, both of your memories."

 _ **STOP WHINING AND PREPARE TO DIE!**_

"No," Tong answered. "I'm going to take you apart, because I know the truth now. At least I did when I was at the mover being made about Bolin's life."

"THEY MADE A MOVER ABOUT ME?!" Bolin exclaimed. Tong turned to what he could only view as a legend and smiled.

"I promise I'll explain everything once this is done." Bolin's expression was one of awe, an expression than even in the middle of the tension, Opal couldn't help but shake her head at.

Turning back towards the Tormentor, Tong continued.

"No, the truth is you hate Korra. Both of you. That's why you don't want anyone to speak with her. That's why you hate me by proxy."

"This doesn't make any sense!" Opal exclaimed. "Mako and Korra were always good friends, and Asami…"

"On the surface," Tong continued. "Yeah, you know it's true, don't you? That's why you can't attack me."

 _ **BE SILENT!**_

"And it makes sense. In Mako's case, he always carried that torch. But he could never reveal it. He had to be happy for Korra, not let the jealousy consume him, even as it slowly ate away at him. He could never get over her, because he felt that he was forced to be alone. So he drowned himself in work, and became a bitter shell. Forever alone."

 _ **SILENCE!**_

"Then again," Tong continued, walking towards the Tormentor, "Asami would seem to be perfectly happy, right? Her and Korra lived together until the end. Except…she did resent Korra in her mind, in her deepest, darkest thoughts. Resented the fact that they could never be married! Resented that politicians and moral guardians wouldn't let her start a family! Resented that fact that she was almost never there! That when push came to shove, Asami was just as alone as Mako was, and just as broken!"

The being began to back away, as if it couldn't take what it was hearing. Bolin and Opal could only stare at the accusations made by Tong towards this creature, and the picture of deep harbored resentment bubbling below the surface of what seemed to be a happy couple and amicable friends.

"And then," Tong concluded, "You were both killed by someone with Korra's face. The same impostor that was haunting me killed you, and drove you over the edge! White Lotus knew this, and they knew you were vulnerable, fusing you into a spirit that could keep me from ever speaking to Korra, from ever finding the truth! Don't you see?"

 _ **See, see what?**_ The creature's voice was almost trembling.

"We're the same. And it's time we all did something together."

Without warning, Tong's eyes turned white, his hands clasping the taller Tormentor's head on each side. The creature could only yell out an inhuman yell.

"It's time," Tong began, "that we all forgave ourselves".

The Tormentor struggled, screaming as light began to pour from it. Tong's hands remained firm the entire time.

"Dr. Ru did something horrible to you, something that no one deserved. I'm going to fix this! I promise!"

Another powerful burst of light emerged from the creature, and for a moment, everyone was blinded. Tong, Opal, Bolin and Iroh all looked at where the Tormentor was and gasped.

Instead of a dark spirit, it was two people on all fours. They appeared extremely weak. A fair skinned man with black hair, and a beautiful woman with raven black hair stood on shaky legs, appearing utterly confused. Luckily for the pair, they were wearing clothes, the man a suit, tie, and trench coat, the woman a jacket with a red skirt and long boots. For a brief moment, Tong was reminded of Kushina, but he quickly brushed that thought aside. He knew who they were.

And apparently so did Bolin, who ran forward to hug the male, screaming "MAKO!" as he did so.

"B…Bo? But…you're dead!"

"Uh…Mako? How do I say this?" The trepidation in Bolin's voice was obvious. Asami meanwhile, was having a similar reaction to Mako, utter confusion.

"Where am I? Why am I wearing my old outfit? Wh…my wrinkles are gone! Opal! What's going on?! And who the hell is that?" she asked, pointing at Tong, who could only reply with an "Uhh…" All the while in the back, Iroh began preparing three additional seats, setting aside cups of tea for each.

Finally letting his brother go, Bolin asked the most obvious question.

"Don't you two remember anything? You don't remember how you…"

Mako stood still for a moment, along with Asami. It was then that both of them said the same name.

"Korra!"

"No!"

Both turned around to see the source of the yell, and found the Earth State man raising his hands, his skin covered in sweat from his actions, and his look one of desperation.

"We were all tricked! We were supposed to believe Korra did this, so we could never speak to the real Korra! You were killed by an impostor! And so was she!"

"Who are you?!" Asami asked, her voice mixed with equal parts confusion and anger.

Breathing deeply, Tong explained. "I'm…the Avatar."

"Korra's the Avatar!" Mako shot back, only for the green shirt wearing Tong to shake his head.

"Was. Korra died 20 years ago. So did, well, so did both of you." Mako's expression was an indication that he didn't believe this for a second.

"Why the hell should I believe you? I can't remember what happened, but that doesn't mean i'm dead!" Bolin tried to put a hand on his brother's shoulders, but he batted it away.

 _Because he doesn't have a reason to lie. He's me. Sorta._

The new voice caused the group to turn around, and once again gasp. Bolin and Opal had thought they'd seen just about everything today, but this new sight was one that confused them to no end.

"Korra!"

Looking the same way she did in her prime, the dark skinned woman stood before the group and smiled. She then went to Asami Sato, and planted a deep kiss on her partner. The kiss, to Asami, was proof that Tong was telling the truth.

"They tried to turn me against you," Asami tearfully whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

"I'm sorry too," Korra stated with a sigh. "I'm sorry I wasn't always there when we were alive. I'm sorry they used us. I'm sorry it took this long for me to see you again."

Mako, however, was nowhere near as happy to see Korra. He walked forward, prepared to unleash decades of long buried animosity and hatred towards the person that he both loved and hated at the same time.

Mako raised his hand to hit her, but couldn't throw the punch. He couldn't hurt Korra. He still cared for her. Instead, he fell to the ground, sobbing.

"Why? Why couldn't I ever get over you?!"

Bolin looked on at Mako, but didn't say anything. He just let Mako sob. Eighty years of pain and anguish were being unleashed by him, the same anger that the Tormentor had taken out on Tong.

Finally, a hand reached out to Mako, which he took.

"Mako, if you really cared about me, then you must have realized that we were never meant to be. I'm sorry, but I don't love you that way anymore, and I never will."

"But why do this to…"

Mako's protests were cut off by Korra hugging the sobbing man/spirit, as she continued. "I still care about you as a friend. I always have. And I never wanted you to be alone because of me. If I could have helped you find someone, I would have. You just needed to ask. Here though, all I can do is say 'I'm sorry.' I never meant for this to happen."

Mako's tears finally ceased as he stood up and attempted to brush the dirt from his coat in a vain attempt to look serious. He instead offered a soft sigh to the group, and smiled.

"Team Avatar, together again. And," he continued, turning towards Tong, "this guy." Tong was all but set to complain about his issues dealing with the Tormentor over the years, but thought better of it. Korra, however, merely turned to Tong, and smiled.

"You shouldn't talk bad about my reincarnation that way," she jokingly warned, before looking on at Tong. He appeared confused, but not upset.

"You OK?"

"How much did you know about? Do you know about the impostor?"

Korra offered a nod. Before she could say anything else though, a voice from back at the table interrupted.

"This is a rather…unique reunion. Perhaps it would be best if we all sat down and went over the details. The tea is still hot after all."

The six all nodded, and headed to the table, where Iroh sat, waiting with his tea and the plate of cookies.

* * *

"So you could see me."

Sipping his tea with the rest of the legendary Team Avatar, Tong hung on every work the group spoke. After being freed from their confines and convinced that Korra truly was dead along with them, the group moved on from being angry at Korra to getting their own frustrations out over being manipulated by White Lotus. He didn't interject into the conversation between old friends unless asked, thinking it better (and far more polite) to let them reunite without the new guy butting in.

"I could, but I couldn't talk to anyone," Korra admitted. "The…what did you call it? The Tormentor? Whatever it was, it pretty much kept me trapped out of sight. I could see everything but I couldn't talk. The only time I was free was the time you fought that clone. I guess since we were the same physically, I could transfer my memories, and see through her eyes."

"That explains," Tong reasoned, "how I could unlock the Avatar state. But I'm sorry," he continued. "This is surreal. You know how I've thought of you as my enemy? I couldn't even bring myself to get a pet because the Avatars had one."

"Well I'm not her, whatever the hell she is."

"What was being fused together like?" Bolin asked, looking at Asami and Mako. Both appeared uncomfortable with the subject. Mako was quick to explain in the most elaborate way possible.

"Imagine being blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, and hearing nothing but rage and anger in both. Now imagine that you can't move because of the pain and anguish that you keep hearing and seeing, and that you anger was directed at anything close to what you blamed for your situation. All you felt was that anger. Nothing else."

Everyone at the table sat, mouths agape, until Mako offered a slight chuckle. "I've still got it. Guess that's something."

"What I don't get," Asami asked, "is how we can still be here, talking to each other like we're still alive. Not to mention from everything you told me Korra, the past lives of the Avatar weren't just hanging out on their own in the spirit world, they were dormant, resting. And yet here we all are with your what, reincarnation? Does that make him your little brother? Nephew? Son?"

"I hadn't really thought what the relationship is too hard," Korra confessed.

"Still, we're all here when we shouldn't be! What gives?"

Everyone looked at Tong and Korra for an answer, although both appeared flustered by the question.

"I lost the connection to my past lives after Harmonic Convergence, remember?" Korra reminded the group.

"And I haven't been able to communicate with Korra until now!" Tong added. "Do you have any idea how much I want to ask her? How about 'who would want to clone you'? I would have asked right away if I could!"

Sipping the tea in front of him, Iroh answered the question of the group.

"Some spirits are fine without rest, finding peace in activity." He smiled as he said this, clearly referring to himself. Bolin and Opal also offered a smile, since they enjoyed their simpler lives in the spirit world. "When they tire, they will rest. But until then, they are free to enjoy being."

"And what about the rest of us?" Asami asked.

"Some require closure on their past lives before they can rest. Whether they can forgive themselves, or fulfill a promise, a deep held desire. There is something you desire, hence your pain all these years, is there not?"

Asami looked at her tea, with a slight blush forming on her face. "No, that's…that's silly. It's ridiculous."

Everyone looked confused at Asami, everyone except Mako, who just shook his head.

"Ask her."

"But…"

"We were fused together for YEARS, remember? I know what you want to ask her. And it might be the only way I get over myself too. I think we all need you to ask."

Asami nodded at this, and stood up, removing a necklace from a pocket in her jacket. She wasn't sure how it got there, but she knew what she was going to ask. After all, the same situation had played in her mind countless times prior.

"Korra, there's something that I want to do. I…feel like it's going to burst out if I don't do it. But I should have done it decades ago."

"Done what?" Korra asked, standing up from her seat.

"Korra," Asami began, getting on her knees.

"Will you marry me?"

Any confusion on Korra's face was gone. Maybe it was the place they were or the circumstances of how they got there, the fact that they would probably never get another chance at this, or maybe Korra just got sick of waiting. Whatever the reason, Korra did the only thing she could.

She took the necklace and placed it around her neck. Then she kissed Asami.

"Yes, yes I will."

"I feel so left out right now," Tong remarked as the other members of Team Avatar went up to the pair, finally happy that they could formally declare their love without publicists or moral guardians saying otherwise. Mako offered him a pat on the shoulder.

"That's not so bad. At least you know when to move on."

"So what do we do now? Is it done?"

"DONE?!" Asami shouted, her voice practically screaming. "No, I waited DECADES to be able to ask this question without being worried about being taken in the night by White Lotus! We are doing a full ceremony! We're having guests, and cake, and a reception, and dancing, all of it! And we're doing it now!"

Tong could only shake his head at the request, putting his hands up in utter confusion.

"HOW?!"

 _Turn around._

Hearing Iroh's voice, Tong turned around, and gasped.

"No, this is not possible. This could not have been here. What's going on? Who's playing a trick on me?" Iroh only offered a laugh at the outright befuddlement of Tong.

"It's said that the Spirit World brings you where you need to be. In this case, these two need this to rest."

"But this…"

'This' was a picturesque scene by a floating river, with an archway, an altar beneath it, and seats filling with spirits. Many looked human. All seemed familiar with the pairing in some way, smiling as they looked on. There was even a place for a band to play music, and a band to do so.

"In their lives, these two touched many people. Many who were affected by their actions on a deep personal level. They were never able to see the two culminate their marriage, and are here to see that chapter close."

"Ok," Tong reasoned. "I'll sit down."

"Actually," Iroh interrupted, "you should be the one doing the ceremony." Even amidst everything, Tong was still confused.

"This doesn't make any sense. I'm not part of their story!"

"Very true," Iroh answered. "But you are the current Avatar, and are the greatest authority here. Therefore, you should be the one doing the ceremony. Korra and Asami's story needs to end before yours can truly begin."

Everyone had gathered in the seats as the rituals were being held. Korra, wearing a dark blue and white suit, was heading towards the aisle, the flower bearer following behind, along with a bald man holding the necklace.

"I am so not qualified for this," was all Tong could say, looking on at the group. "I mean look at me! I'm wearing a T-shirt, looking for revenge against…"

"You were saying?" Iroh smirked. Tong looked down, only to realize he was wearing a formal suit. The same suit he wore when he accepted the Burning Chalice at the Fire Nation. All he could do in response was sigh and clap his hands.

"It's time to give everyone what they want."

Slowly, Tong went out to the stand, standing in front of the altar. He breathed heavily, looking on at all these people. They had all been touched by Korra and Asami in some way. It was completely and utterly humbling to see all the people Korra had affected positively, after only having seen what her doppelgänger had done to people.

And then she came forth.

As a band played a traditional wedding song in the background, Asami walked forward, wearing a traditional white dress that left her shoulders bare, but her face covered by a white veil. Korra appeared speechless. In front of her wasn't an old woman, but a beautiful young woman. She was reminded why she fell in love with her all over again. Well, one part of why at least.

Before Tong could be distracted with the scene in front of him, Iroh gently nudged the man.

"That's your cue."

"Uh, right! Right!" Clearing his throat, he began to read from a book in front of him, while realizing that this wasn't a coincidence. Iroh had set the whole thing up from the get go. He probably had the invitations ready for decades.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I told you, I enjoy helping people. So you should really not keep them waiting."

Tong nodded hurriedly, and then spoke aloud, reading from the book.

"We are gathered here today to join Korra and Asami Sato in the sacred bond of matrimony. If anyone should find a reason that these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

Predictably, no one said anything. From the corner of their eyes, Korra, Asami, and Tong could all see Mako, smiling at the occasion with his eyes closed, appearing perfectly at peace with the decision of his two friends.

"Well then…"

Tong's eyes went wide. He saw a brief annotation in the book. _Insert small speech here._

"Damn you old man," he muttered, although thankfully no one heard it.

"Many in the past questioned this relationship," Tong began, doing his absolute best to ad-lib a speech. "Many believed it to be a short fling, or something done as a sign of rebellion. Others condemned it immediately as immoral or a slight against them. But no one would dare journey through years and years of heartache and suffering over something that wasn't pure."

 _So far so good,_ he thought, looking out at the crowd. They weren't booing him off the stage.

"It's often said that true enlightenment is achieved through suffering. If that's the case, then these two are truly enlightened individuals. The trials and tribulations they must have gone through before and after meeting each other, we can only guess at. And with that wisdom that they earned, with great difficulty, they still choose to be with each other, past any concept of legality or even life. This was a relationship that began slowly, and grew into what you see. And at no point did they abandon each other, did they stop supporting each other even though the temptation to do so must have present thousands, if not millions of times. They had every reason NOT be together, but in the end they chose love. And we are here today to celebrate that pure love."

"Now," Tong continued, thankful that the speech was over, "Korra, do you take Asami Sato to be your partner in all things? Beyond this life, and whatever may come?"

"I do," Korra replied.

"And do you Asami Sato, well…"

"I DO,' Asami stated, almost impatiently, as if she just wanted Tong to get on with the ceremony.

"Then by the power invested in me as well, the Avatar, I pronounce you both married. You may now kiss each other."

With their cue given, both kissed, passionately and forcefully as the crowd stood up and clapped. There was not a single frown in the audience, save Bolin and a few others who were crying with happiness.

And then there was silence. Smiling faces that waved and cheered, slowly vanishing, until only four were left.

Korra, Asami, Mako, and Tong stood by the river, everyone having left, presumably to their homes, or their rest. Asami explained as best she could.

"You need Korra now, Tong. We can have the party later."

"And what about you Mako?" Korra asked.

"I'm happy for both of you," he replied. "For me? I'm going to rest. And maybe, in a while..."

Mako, or his spirit, faded into nothingness, but his voice echoed even as he disappeared.

 _Maybe in a while, I'll try again. And I'll get it right this time._

Tong could only look at Korra with a sense of trepidation. "I still have so much I need to ask you."

"We'll have plenty of time to talk, but you need to do something first."

"What?"

"Time," Korra explained, "flows differently in the Spirit World. It's been a week by your time, and well, remember how I said I was connected to those clones?"

An image formed in the river, similar to the one General Old Iron showed to Tong the last time he was here. It was an army marching on Zaofu, led by a gigantic purple mecha.

"My clone is piloting a Colossus knockoff," Korra remarked with notable disdain in her voice.

"How the hell am I supposed to stop that…thing?!" Tong exclaimed. Korra was quick to answer.

"You're the Avatar now. You can stop it. Besides, you have me giving you advice! You can't lose!"

"I think that thing is out of my weight class," Tong lamented, looking on at the gargantuan super robot. Korra however, shook her head at this.

"I'll explain everything to you on the way," Korra assured Tong. "But we should probably get going now."

"Going where?"

"Did anyone ever teach you about the Tree of Time?"


	29. Balance Through Realignment

It had taken hours of viewing the information. The group worked in shifts; some sleeping while others stood guard. Even the archivists changed their shifts, although all, young, old, or otherwise, did nothing to impede the group, merely ensuring that nothing was destroyed as the group worked. They even saw fit to bring out a meal of fruit and granola for the group (which the Air Bender trio especially appreciated). It was clear that the archivists there were more than complicit in their help.

"Many of the things here weren't in the original designs," one of the archivists reasoned. "But since no one was going to see them anyway, it wouldn't hurt to list…sensitive information, now would it?"

"Works for me," Amit reasoned as he began to compile more notes.

Finally, about a day and several shifts later, a full report was completed, concerning, head to toe what had happened over the past eighty years that now threatened the world.

"Well, I guess we need to go over it," Kushina reasoned. "Let's start from the top."

* * *

 _184 AG –_

"Zaheer has been defeated. He will not be returning."

The council rom sat in a small retreat outside of Republic City, far removed from the city lights or human traffic. Rather, outside, cherry blossoms and a flowing river greeted anyone who would look out the window.

"Yes Quinfang," one of the men answered. "Zaheer has been defeated. But at least he's done something. What have we done in these past ten years?"

"Planned," Bu Quinfang replied. "Zaheer was as foolish as he was impatient. 'Let's cause anarchy in the Earth Kingdom with no backup plan! Let's draw attention to myself the second I get out of jail! He was a fool and he remained one to the end. Meanwhile, we have integrated ourselves into White Lotus proper as well as both the United Republic and the new Earth Kingdom. We have formed an alliance with a major technology firm. And we have the position to strike, to fully take over the world's government's through the use of the Avatar."

"And to do this we need time, correct?"

"Correct. My plan has three distinct phases. And I understand that it will take decades before they are fully realized." Knowing that however, I believe that this is the only way to actually realize our goals of a true, permanent balance."

"Phase 1," Kushina read aloud. "Eliminate any and all of Korra's personal connections so they cannot object to what we have planned."

Looking at the paper with the list of names, she began to read them to the group.

* * *

 _Chief Lin Beifong – Killed in the line of duty following the Triple Threat Triad/Sons of Amon gang wars. Of course no one knew that we were supplying the Sons of Amon with our new 'Shocker' weapons, but if we were to make non-benders equal citizens, we had to give them the tools to be equal. Non-benders always seemed to be more intelligent and creative anyway, so it was no surprise our non-benders created the weapons necessary for them to be equal. The gang war served as an excellent testing ground for our weapons, and was a rousing success._

* * *

"You added that bit about non-benders in," Leena stated flatly. Kushina merely shook her head.

"Nope. Makes sense when you think about it. We can't create fire with our hands, so we create tools with our minds. Not to mention, think of every major mechanical or electronic invention in the past century. Cars, modern trains, planes, mecha tanks, Shockers, computers, and countless other stuff. Every last one was created by a non-bender."

Leena could only look on at Kushina with a clear sense of annoyance. "Just go to the next part of the report."

"Spoilsport. You're just lucky I don't have a wrench and create a machine to beam all these papers into your brain."

* * *

 _Jinora, her husband Kai, and her brother Meelo. Assassinated by one of our contacts during a peace rally. Naturally the violence was blamed on Earth Kingdom sympathizers. This worked to our advantage, to keep the two nations apart. In order to justify military spending on both sides, the cold war had to continue. They were the major source of tension and we could not lose that for anything._

* * *

"Yudhisthir," Shing noted, remembering their battle with the master assassin all too well.

"Bolin and Opal's deaths was connected right to this," Kushina replied.

* * *

 _It was in our best interests to save Korra's two closest confidants for last, Asami Sato and Mako. We did not want to kill all of Korra's friends too quickly, lest an obvious pattern develop._

 _This in turn led to Phase 2 of our plan, the slow integration of our trusted men into White Lotus, and the expansion of our official powers through the bureau our agents created, the Spirit Human Relationship Bureau. Through these contacts, we were able to stockpile funds, build militias that can later be turned into our regular army, and increase our influence. Our hand has not been tipped. Eventually, this funding will lead to greater government influence, and a more stragetic vantage point from which to begin our coup._

 _Unfortunately, despite our gentle nudging, Avatar Korra seems to despise us. I thought that removing her inner circle would make her more agreeable to our plans, but instead she seems to be more resistant than ever. I don't think she ever forgave Chanming for denying both her marriage application and her adoption. But these are necessary sacrifices for peace. She unfortunately, did not realize that._

* * *

"So Korra didn't want to go along with it?" Tashi asked.

"Ikki rarely talked about Korra," Shing answered. "Maybe this is why. Maybe she did know, but with everyone else on Team Avatar dead or isolated, she had no one else to turn to."

Looking through the report, Kushina scoffed at what she was reading. "It gets weirder."

* * *

 _I am dying._

 _I knew that I would not live to see my work completed, but I was not expecting illness to be the reason. The doctors sadly, claim it is terminal._

 _But even in my last days, I have found the solution to our problem. Scientists that we have been working with have begun developing the ability to literally clone human cells, reproduce exact copies. It is theorized that one day we will be able to clone a full human being. Unfortunately, initial experiments seem to not allow us to clone a human with all four bending abilities without literally destroying the cells. But there are ways to…fake such things._

 _This technology will not be ready until after I have passed. Until such time, the rest of White Lotus and I must continue to lay the fertile ground for our plans. We must be ready for when the day comes to replace Korra that the world will not know. And once that day comes, we can begin the final phase of our plans._

* * *

"Clones?" Ulva's tone was one of sheer disbelief. "That's ludicrous."

"So is an information repository buried in the South Pole," Leena answered.

 ** _One which you were intelligent enough to find. A shame you won't be leaving!_**

The group turned around to face a legion of men in black masks, flanked by four mask wearing individuals, each of a various animal, a fish, a sky bison, a dragon, and a badger mole. Wasting no time, everyone drew their weapons or prepared to bend. The masked legion responded in kind, raising their hands to reveal they were fire benders.

"Drop your weapons and don't bother bending," the woman in the badger mole mask began. "You're outnumbered."

"Wanna test that theory?" Leena asked, a fireball forming in her hand as she did so.

"I am being very kind. But you are testing my patience, young one. Drop your weapons now!"

"ENOUGH!"

The voice came from one of the archivists, who stood between the two parties. Their hands were raised as if they were ready to battle both sides.

"There will be no bloodshed in this archive! Even you must respect those rules, Honored Petals. The same rules that you bound us to when you trapped us here for the rest of our lives."

"This is insolence!" the man in the fish mask responded. The archivist shook his head.

"The rules apply to all. Now lower your hands! And remove yourselves from this archive. Perhaps we can discuss this in peace in the conference room."

"Gonna be one hell of a conference," Amit mused.

The four masked men all agreed, the man in the dragon mask taking the lead. "Perhaps violence isn't our only option. We could offer you all a position within our esteemed organization. Perhaps, once we explain what we have done, you will find our methods…agreeable."

"And if we don't?" Ulva asked.

"You know the answer to that."

* * *

To say the mood in the conference room was tense would be a grand understatement. Everyone looked on at each other, prepared to strike, but as long as the archivists' watchful eye was on them, they dared not. Finally, after a few minutes of painfully awkward silence, Kushina raised her voice.

"Everything here indicates you're responsible for the deaths of thousands. And that your long-term plan, this 'Realignment', will result in the deaths of millions. The only way things would be worse is if you started firing spirit vine warheads."

"Rest assured that is not our intention," the man in the dragon mask began. "We want peace. But the only way to bring peace to the world is not through random anarchy, as the other sect of Red Lotus learned. Nor is it through dramatic underground rebellions that burn out as quickly as they flare up. It requires a long-term commitment to a plan, and a will, a desire to see it through to its bitter end. And the results, oh the results. Bender and non-bender equal in society's eye. No one nation trying to impose their superiority like the Fire Nation did. One world, realigned into perfect equality under the Avatar, who will rule as an absolute political and spiritual authority. With…help from a council of the wise. Namely, us and those we deem fit to bring humanity into a new age of progressive and peaceful thinking."

"And what makes you think that it won't fall apart after you're gone?" Ulva asked. "The nations of the world will be more than happy to be removed from your heel, and even Korra won't live forever, no matter how many times you clone her!"

The rather impassioned protest from a career soldier only received chuckles from the Black Petals. Raising his hand as if to tell his compatriots to stop laughing, the Dragon spoke again.

"You think we didn't plan for this? Long term planning leads to safeguards being put into play in order to ensure that things don't collapse after we leave. In this case, we ensured that there were…safeguards in place past our collapse, hence our existence as a council, the Black Petals. The true power within White Lotus."

Kushina, for her part, was shrugging off the words of the Black Petals as well. "And you came all the way out here to deal with a few Air Benders, some soldiers out of Mt. Frost Rat Hole…"

"Hey!"

"A spy, and an engineer who had a job until she figured out she was working for freaking Evil Incorporated! You're definitely impressive, what with your armies of ninjas and top-secret mecha tanks! So impressive you had to deal with us personally!"

"Watch your…"

"Calm yourself Dragon," the woman in the badger mole mask interrupted, before addressing Kushina.

"We didn't come here for you. We came here for the man named Tong. Or rather, Avatar Tong. Where is he?"

"He's not here right now," Kushina muttered through gritted teeth. "What's it to you?"

"We were going to offer him the same agreement that his father refused. Exile, in exchange for all his wants and needs being provided for. He would retire somewhere and would have his every desire fulfilled, and in exchange we could continue our valuable work."

"Tong wouldn't agree to something like that," Kushina answered. "When he finds out you killed his father, he's going to want you all dead."

"Easier said than done," the man in the sky bison mask noted. "But since you're all here, we are willing to extend you the same courtesy. We will make you disappear, provide for your every need and want, and all you have to do is end this foolish resistance. After all, you cannot truly expect to accomplish anything, and you know it."

The group all looked on at the four masked individuals in front of them. None of them spoke, unsure of how to respond.

"Surely you realize that we command an army and you command…nothing," Badger Mole boasted. "Even as we speak, the Avatar Army is marching on the Earth Republic with the most high-tech force in the world. There is nothing they can do to stop us, nor is there anything the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads, or the Water Tribes can do. But this way, we avoid the bloodshed that we are laying the foundation to end permanently. You must see the logic of the situation."

Silence again reigned until finally, Shing spoke.

"You're the same as Ozai. The same as Chin, Amon, Kuvira, and every other dictator in history. And the Avatar is going to stop you, just like the Avatar stopped them."

"But Avatar Korra…"

"Got her ass kicked by Avatar Tong!" Shing yelled. "We have enough evidence to show the world that Korra is a fraud, and once we show that, I don't see that big army she recruited lasting very long."

"So the choice has been made," Dragon announced. "Then you must die."

The archivists kept their eyes on the Black Petals, ready to move if anyone dared strike in the conference room. That was until once broke through, looking on at the foursome.

"Honored Petals, you have a call. It's…Inquisitor Han."

"Han?!" Dragon shouted incredulously. "What does he want? Put him on."

"Who are they talking about?" Kushina asked. That was before Amit and Tashi demonstrated rather noticeable fear.

"He's the one," Tashi began, as if in a trance. "He killed Mi Hee!" Shing could only stare on at the monitor in the center of the conference table that sprung to life.

 _Hello Honored Petals. I have called…to say goodbye._

"What are you talking about Han?" Dragon asked.

 _Simple. The facility you are in is now obsolete. You see, the world doesn't need you anymore, not with our forces now publicly challenging the nations, and our rank and file soldiers believe they are under Avatar Korra's command, not the Omniscient Council of Do-Nothings! Oooh, you have no idea how long I've waited to say that._

"Han!" Sky Bison yelled. "Your career in White Lotus is over! Consider yourself under arrest!"

 _That's no way to talk to the Avatar's fiancée._

Kushina blushed slightly hearing this, before immediately realizing he was talking about Korra, not Tong.

Badger Mole outright laughed at this. "You asked that clone to marry you? You've always been pathetic and meek, which is why you were such a good handler!"

 _Well, here's the part where I gloat about MY master plan, you masked idiots._

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" Dragon yelled.

 _Make me. Anyways, the contents of the Grand Archive have now been uploaded into the Star Flower. I've also taken the liberty of installing something on the Star Flower that will ensure your ends, and no way it can be traced back to me. Those loyal to me support this, those loyal to you will never know what happened, and those loyal to Korra will be none the wiser. Goodbye._

The monitor shut off, with the Black Petals staring at Kushina and the others. It was Leena who broke the silence.

"Now what?"

The answer to that question was a thunderous boom that radiated overhead, shaking the entire building to its core.

"What in the name of everything sacred is that?" Kushina asked. To answer her questions, more of the archivists went into the conference room.

"Something is bombarding us! From space! It looks like a spirit vine beam!"

"WHAT?!" Dragon yelled.

"Quickly! Take the visitors and evacuate them at once!"

Kushina and the others quickly ran to follow the group, but when the Petals went to leave, the archivists stood in their way.

"Stand aside, librarian!"

"No. This is our greatest work, the one you helped us build. We should all leave this world together."

"MEN!"

"Your men have been incapacitated," one of the archivists, announced. "No one is going to help you."

"You would kill us? Knowing what Han is planning?"

"We can't stop it here anyway," one of the archivists grinned. It was the grin of a man who knew his suffering was about to end.

* * *

"This way! Hurry!"

The group ran as fast as their legs would take them, surprised (but relieved) no one was impeding their escape. Finally, they approached what appeared to be an entrance to a tunnel.

"This tunnel digs out about three miles from the actual archive. It was designed that way so no one could pinpoint the exact location. Now go!''

"What about you?" Tashi asked.

"This is our life's work. We should both leave this world together." The group paused for a moment before he yelled a forceful "Go!"

With no time to convince the archivists otherwise, and another thunderous boom shaking the complex to its core, the group ran through the narrow metal tunnel, feeling the earth quaking behind them. They ran as fast as they could, the tunnel soon finally reached a hatch, which they opened, digging through an inch of snow to arrive topside.

It was then that they saw it.

A spirit vine beam from outer space struck the Grand Archive, leaving nothing but destruction and flame in its wake. UIlva was furious.

"This is an act of war! The Water Tribes are going to have this Han's head!"

"Get in line," Amit replied.

"I don't know how we're going to prove that a giant space death beam destroyed Avatar Affair's records facility," Leena noted.

"Be that as it may," Ulva began, "we need to get back to base before whoever's shooting that thing realized someone escaped."

"But Tong!" Kushina shouted.

"If Tong is the Avatar, then he'll be just fine in the Spirit World!"

"You saw that report! They put something there to keep him out!"

"We have to go!" Shing shouted. "I'm not going to let you die!"

"You a…"

"Would Tong want you to die like this?"

The glare Kushina shot at Shing could pierce steel. But reluctantly, she agreed and the group ran off even as the spirit vine beam continued to pound what was left of the Grand Archive into atomized dust. As they ran, the thoughts of the conspiracy melted away, replaced by one singular antagonistic force. A man named Han, who was going to use to White Lotus to take over the world. And he had an entire army to lead his charge, as well as apparently, a death ray in space he could fire to smite his enemies.

Their enemy was known. Their objective was clear.

* * *

Cameras snapped nonstop as Korra took the podium inside Ba Sing Se, the press guaranteed safety now that the invading force had been completely annihilated. Naturally, the press was all too happy to oblige, with reporters from every major news outlet on the planet taking photos and asking questions. Flanking Korra were armed guards from the newly christened 'Avatar Army'.

"Madame Avatar! This is unprecedented military action? Why now?"

"The world has gone through too much strife for me to merely sit back and watch," Korra explained. "This is the only way to ensure true peace in the world."

"Madame Avatar? Why the Earth State Civil War?"

"Simple. Regent Xing needed our help and surrendered willingly. We are not trying to start a war. Those nations who willingly join our banner will have their governments adjusted, yes, but they will still exist, just under the Avatar's infinite wisdom and guidance. In the case of the Earth Republic, their aggression had to be halted, so a, what do you call it? An 'armed intervention' was necessary."

Cameras flashed as more questions peppered the Avatar, who took the curiosity in stride. She was after all, going to rule the world.

"What do you say to the nations that refuse to join your Avatar Nation, even as a regency?"

Korra smirked at this. "Simple. Just try and stop me. You'll end up like the Earth Republic's army outside Ba Sing Se, completely annihilated. And then when the Avatar Army is at your doorstep, you'll wish you gave up when you had the chance."


	30. Vow

_Today on 'Before the Nations' – Has Avatar Korra declared war on the entire world?! Joining us now is senior minister Wuji Shen of the newly formed Earth Regency, and Cha Qiu ambassador of the United Republic to the Earth Republic. Um, well, I guess the first question here is, why is she doing this?_

 _This was a mutual agreement, between two governments._

 _Since when is Avatar Affairs a government unto itself?_

 _Not Avatar Affairs, Ambassador, the Avatar Nation. It is independent of Avatar Affairs and the other nations of the world. We saw an opportunity for our people, and we took it. This will hopefully allow us to bring an end to a bloody civil war and save lives._

 _By annihilating everything in the way towards Zaofu? That Avatar Army Korra is commanding is leaving nothing but death and destruction in its wake!_

 _We're following the rules of war, but as we've said for years, the Earth Republic is a brutal hegemony that has tricked people into believing we are the villains! We are fighting back through a proper alliance that benefits the entire Earth State._

 _Through genocide?!_

 **CLICK!**

To call the mood in Republic City tense was a gross understatement. Although no formal declaration of war had been made on any nation other than the Earth Republic, the hotheaded speech from Avatar Korra had a clear message – Join us or die. And with Avatar Affairs' main headquarters in Republic City, the city itself was now ground zero for protests, with police patrolling the streets and a curfew having been initiated to prevent violence. This didn't stop a near constant stream of protests from both benders and non-benders, although so far, the situation hadn't descended into violence.

Air Temple Island, isolated from the mainland, was still somewhat safe from the tension. Shing, Amit, Tashi, and Kushina all sat inside a building with Rohan, thinking over the events of the past few days while the television played in the background.

"There's no getting to the Spirit Portal," Kushina lamented. "The whole city is on lockdown, and we have no way to stop what's coming. Not to mention, we have no idea where Tong is."

"And our allies are running thin," Shing added. "Leena went back to the Fire Nation and Ulva stayed behind at the fort."

"And I need to see my dad," Kushina replied. "He took all my stuff home after the lease on the apartment expired."

"But we know who the mastermind is behind all this," Rohan answered. "This…Han, correct?"

Tashi nodded. "Yes, he's seen as Korra's personal bodyguard and confidant. He also went and claimed during that call that he was Korra's fiancée as well."

"And with the Super Secret Council of Secretness dead," Amit added, "he's the one pulling the strings."

"Where is he now?" Rohan asked.

"Well away from the front lines," Kushina answered. "Right smack dab in the middle of Avatar Affairs headquarters."

"Then our next move is obvious," Shing began. "We have to deal with Han. If we can defeat him and reveal Korra is an impostor, we can end this war before it begins."

"And how do we do that?" Kushina asked. "You know, with Tong trapped in the Spirit World?! We don't have an Avatar to prove he's lying!"

The group sat silent, Kushina's piercing gaze ripping through Shing, until he stood up and announced his plan.

"I'm going to go to Avatar Affairs, find Han, and kill him."

"What did you just say?" Rohan asked, furious. "You are a member of the Air Nation!"

"I failed my mission when I thought putting Tong in the Spirit World would make him the Avatar! I didn't realize he wasn't going to return! I didn't know they created something to kill him when he got in there! This is the only way to fix things."

"No member of this order will resort to murder! Even Avatar Aang, when…"

"I'm not the Avatar!" Shing yelled. "And if no member of this order can kill, then I quit the order!"

This took the group aback as Shing stood up and walked out, Rohan following after. The pair eventually found themselves in front of the garden, adorned by statues of former grandmasters of the Air Nomads. Rohan looked on at them forlornly.

"If what you're saying is true, then these men killed my family for the crime of being Korra's friends. And we have the name of the sole puppet master. But that does not make us killers. It should never make us killers."

"What choice do I have?" Shing answered. "A Lion Turtle isn't going to appear out of thin air and teach me energy bending. If I kill Han, and leave the Avatar Army directionless, I could save millions of lives. The war has started; the destruction in Ba Sing Se is proof of that. But I can end it here."

"At the cost of your own soul?" Rohan pondered. "You don't think that my grandfather, or my father, or my sister, or any of them had the opportunity to kill countless times to end a problem, to end a threat? They didn't, because that stain never goes away. It never heals. You will have to live with the fact that you ended a life for the rest of yours. And it is not something that is done lightly."

"I already sent my best friend to die."

"We don't know that," Rohan countered. Shing however, only shook his head, putting his hand at the feet of the Aang statue.

"I was so scared of failing to bring Tong to his destiny that I may have sent him to a thing made to kill him. I didn't know! I swear! Now they all hate me, hell, Kushina outright pulled a Shocker on me when she found out what I did, and the only reason that we didn't go into the spirit portal was because of that death ray!"

Rohan extended a hand to Shing, which he took. "Just do me a favor. Not as the Grandmaster, but as your grandfather. For your parents' sakes, just, take the night; think about what you're going to do. Don't rush into something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

Shing nodded, hugging Rohan. Even confused, he still needed to offer his grandfather the courtesy of thinking this over.

* * *

"Now gentlemen, as you can see, the Black Petals were destroyed along with the Grand Archive. Luckily, nearly all the information in the archive was backed up to the Star Flower so we haven't lost anything. Furthermore, as Avatar Korra's loyalties lie with me, I believe that this makes me the best candidate to be Grand Lotus. Although personally, now that we have made our move into the public eye, secret councils and fancy poetic titles have gone the way of badger mole cabs."

 _Why should we make you Grand Lotus? Shouldn't we elect a new council of Black Petals?_

 _And what about us?_

Han was having a very good day. The Black Petals had been annihilated thanks to the Spirit Vine Cannon he had installed on the Star Flower, a weapon now capable of striking any place on the planet with a few commands. In order to keep the day going smoothly though, he had to address the concerns of his partners.

"You will all be given your positions in government contracts and business dealings, as promised. We're all on the same team. The only difference is that we now do everything openly, rather than slinking in the shadows."

 _How long?_

"Zaofu will fall by week's end at the rate of our army's advance. Once the world sees what they're up against, and realized that Avatar Affairs has buildings in every nation, they will all fall in line, hopefully without bloodshed."

 _Hopefully. Very well then, 'Grand Lotus', we will follow you, so long as you keep your promise._

"Good men. Then let's turn our attention to the future, shall we?"

* * *

The city streets were as tense as the news described them. When people went out, they did so only to secure essentials like food and water. Braver citizens were out in force with signs and megaphones, protesting a war that everyone assumed would be inevitable.

"Amon was right!" a protestor shouted through a megaphone in front of a public building. "The Avatar is a symbol of corruption!"

" **GO HOME! GO HOME! GO HOME!"**

The frustration was mounting to Kushina as she passed by the protestors and their various signs. She knew that the Korra leading the army was a fake. But with the Grand Archive now a crater of scorched metal and slowly freezing liquid, there was no way to prove it.

Other than the protestors and the police, traffic on both the roads and the sidewalks was minimal until she reached the location her dad was at, a rather comfortable high rise on the 14th floor. The doorman waved her in without issues once she showed an ID, presumably recognizing her father's name. One short trip on the elevator later, she found herself in front of the door, ringing the bell.

"Who is it?" yelled the gravely voice of a man as he opened the door. The man's stocky, short frame, an inch shorter than his daughter's, radiated a kind of power that Kushina never felt the equal of, and considering the enemies she had spent the last few months fighting against, was saying quite a deal. But once the man's narrow, sharp eyes caught his daughter's image, the stern face melted away, and replacing it was a face filled with relief.

"Kushina! You're OK!" he shouted, reaching to embrace her.

"Hi Dad," was Kushina's sole reply as she hugged her father, Tae Chun.

"Come in! I'll make you some tea! I thought you were working for that company in the Fire Nation!"

"It's a long story Dad," was all she could say as she walked inside.

* * *

Standing in front of the state of Avatar Aang, technically his great-great grandfather, Shing felt a moment of pause. Aang's deeds were legendary among the new Air Nation, not for ending the Hundred Year War by defeating Ozai, but by doing it without violating the principles of the Air Nation. The order valued his commitment to their ideals, the restoration of his people more than his deeds in battle. Even the quote at the base of the statue reflected this, as Shing read it aloud.

"I will not kill. There has to be another way. There is always another way."

He sighed heavily, kneeling before the statue.

"I know you can't hear me. I know you, wherever you are, aren't connected to the world anymore. If you're sleeping or if you even exist as you, whatever. My point is, is that I'm not you. I can't do what you did. I can't magically learn energy bending from a random Lion Turtle. I can't become detached after I sent my best friend to die. I just want to say, that I'm sorry. Because I can't live up to the standard you set for our people. I'm sorry for wearing these tattoos when I'm about to commit the greatest sin an Air Nomad possibly can. And if I survive, I'll remove my tattoos and go into exile, so as not to stain the Air Nation."

Standing up, Shing bowed respectfully to the statue. "I have failed the Air Nation. Please forgive me."

He went into his room to prepare. The temple had a selection of black wing suits to be used for stealth missions when asked, so what to wear was easy enough to decide. What wasn't part of the uniform was a belt of throwing knives. Easy enough to use, wind propelled them towards a target. But they were only at the academy so people could practice guiding objects with their air bending. They were never meant for this.

Grabbing a file used by the kitchen to sharpen cooking knives, Shing began to sharpen the blades. The target in his mind was clear. All he could do now was wait for nightfall.

He would kill Han. And then he would disappear into the shadows, to never be seen again.

* * *

Kushina had been relieved when she walked in. It had been a whole five minutes and there hadn't been one mention of the dojo. Mostly her father had been focused on the ensuing crisis and how worried he had been about her. She had done her best to ensure him that she was fine, and there was nothing to worry about, mostly because she had been moving around for the sake of her career. Nor did she bother mentioning her friends. That was not a conversation she wanted to have with her dad any time in the immediate future. Hell, even if Tong was here, she wouldn't want to have that conversation.

"I'm sorry," Chun lamented. "But you left so fast, and well, since your mother died, you're really all I have left as far as family."

"I know," she reassured her father. "But I have to have my own life too, right? It was complicated, and I was lucky enough to get a referral."

"Well you could have…'

 _Here it comes,_ she thought, nearly rolling her eyes.

"Taken the job here."

Kushina sighed. It always came back to this. Even as the city was set to collapse into full scale rioting, it ALWAYS came back to this.

"Dad, I love chi-blocking. I love you. But it's not what I want to do for a living."

"But you're great at it! What could you possibly do as an engineer that you couldn't do as the heir to the dojo? Sit in an office?"

"Build something," Kushina replied. "I'm good at making things! I want to create something that the whole world can use! Something that contributes more than just one guy beating up another guy!"

"Is that all I do?" her father protested. "Teach people how to beat up others?"

"No, that's not what I…"

"Do you have a good reason?"

"I want to build!" Kushina yelled. "I want to do something with my name on it, and it's not chi-blocking! But that doesn't mean I hate chi-blocking or hate you! Why are you making this so hard?"

Her father looked outside the window, his expression heavy. "That school is my legacy. And I don't trust anyone else with it."

"Then you should know that I should want to make my own legacy, right?"

For once, her father had no words, only sitting down, deep in thought.

"Besides, you're a great teacher. There aren't any of your other instructors that could teach?"

Her father smirked at this. But as he did, he sat down to address her.

"I will make you a deal."

"A deal?"

"Provided the school is even intact after all of this war nonsense, I want you to help me pick a successor from the instructors I have now. Help me with that, and I promise I'll stop asking you to take it on yourself."

"I'll help," Kushina replied, hugging her father again.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem Dad."

"Now let's just hope we do survive this ensuing mess. The Avatar's gone insane. What does she think this is going to accomplish?"

"Yeah," Kushina replied half-heartedly. "The Avatar."

* * *

The darkness that covered the city only heightened the eeriness of it being virtually empty. Even the protestors had departed, peacefully thankfully when the curfew had taken effect. It wasn't going to be long before that peace was completely shattered. But maybe if he could get to Han, he could stop the carnage before it started.

Guards were present on the rooftops, but alternating between stealthy glides and occasionally stopping to knock out a guard who wandered too close, Shing was able to approach the Avatar Affairs building without being discovered. The monolithic fortress stood in the middle of the city, guarded by dozens of masked soldiers wearing the blue and white logo that the Avatar Army had adopted as their emblem. Shing recognized the pattern, although he was sure the meaning would go over most of the people.

It was a painting of Raava. Emblazoned across their flags, their uniforms, and their vehicles, as if that would offer them some sort of legitimacy.

He said nothing, but instead began to look for an opening into the facility. On the flat surface of the observation deck he found one, an entrance into the building proper. Silently gliding, he went towards it, stopping to take a guard from behind and choke him out as soon as he landed. The unconscious guard was laid near the door, minus his keys, which allowed Shing unrestricted access.

The inside of the building itself, unlike the four story outdoor with the classic curved front roof, was strikingly modern and utterly massive, with offices, meeting spaces, and a full service cafeteria. The building itself was packed, but luckily, none of the people inside looked up long enough to notice him moving through the hallways.

There was no sign of his prey, at least not until he found what appeared to be a key operated elevator. Luckily the guard's key ring had the appropriate key for it, and Shing soon found himself down in the sub basement, one of what appeared to be four. The sub-basement itself seemed to be a physical fitness complex, with both a padded room for martial arts training, as well as numerous cardiovascular and weight machines, alongside a notable array of free weights.

Unlike the bustling upper floors, the sub-basement seemed relatively empty, with a single man in a green rashguard and black shorts doing pull-ups on a bar. Shing recognized the man immediately from the conference call.

"Han."

Wasting no time, he drew the knife, watching as he continued to work through his routine. Two-handed pull-ups soon gave way to one-handed as he continued to go up and down the bar. Not wanting to give his target a time to turn around, he placed the knife on his hand, and blew on it, sending it forward.

 **CRASH!**

With one swipe of Han's arm, the blade was shattered into dozens of unrecognizable pieces as the arm's owner looked on at the stunned assassin.

"Air Nomads kill now? Things have changed since I was kicked out of the order."

"Han," Shing stated.

"Grand Lotus Han, now," Han announced. "Leader of White Lotus and now the de facto ruler of the world. And exiled member of the Air Nation."

Rather than question his declaration, Shing tried throwing several more knives at Han, who shattered them instantly with simple swipes of his hand.

"Wind Razor."

"Your throws have accuracy," Han began, "but they lack conviction! Then again, that's why Jinora threw me out of the Air Nation to begin with!"

"Jinora threw you out?" Shing asked, allowing the goateed Grand Lotus to walk towards him.

"Oh yes, for the crime of revolutionizing Air Bending no less."

* * *

 _Han, what have you done?_

 _I figured out how to make the currents turn into blades! My air bending is unstoppable now! This is the greatest innovation ever!"_

" _This is…"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _An abomination! You've turned Air Bending into a tool for killing!"_

 _It's better than what I've been taught!_

 _GET OUT!_

* * *

"Jinora's dead," was all Shing could say as a reply.

"I know," Han answered. "I ordered the hit. "

"She was my great aunt."

Han could only laugh. "So then you weren't even that closely related. I presume you don't mind that I ordered the hit on great-uncle Meelo either." With Shing silent, looking deeply at his opponent, Han continued.

"She was just furious I was even stronger than she was. Stronger than her father, hell, my Air Bending is stronger than Aang's!"

"Is that what this is all about?" Shing asked. "Your martial arts being stronger than theirs? That's why you killed your own master?"

"Of course not," Han answered. "When I came into White Lotus, it was to free people from the stupidity that the four nations infected them with, such as my FORMER master. Things like the Air Nomads refusal to kill, blood oaths about honor, and all the other nonsense that's dragged down the world. I was given the opportunity to change the things that ruined my place in the Air Nation, and ensure no one else's creativity is stifled!"

"And what gives you the right? To kill, to change how people think?"

"I control the Avatar," Han answered.

"You control a clone. The woman leading an army across the Earth Republic isn't Korra."

"No, she's not. We had Korra killed slightly after I joined White Lotus. But I still love her, and she loves me. What do you care?"

"I care that you're going to kill millions!"

Han smiled, but rather than walk towards Shing, who had his hands raised in defense, walked towards the matted sparring room.

"Look, I appreciate the effort, violating your 'sacred' traditions, but I've killed countless Air Nomads since I've joined White Lotus. Believe me, one more to the list isn't going to make me sob up. Still, I'd rather not destroy the gym. How about you come into my little workshop in the practice room, and we can settle things like gentlemen?"

Realizing that his knives were useless, Shing nodded in agreement, walking into the room where Han was waiting. The red mats were utterly pristine, only adding to how high class the facility was.

"Well, do what you came here to do boy," Han taunted. "Kill me. If you can get over that Air Nation brainwashing."

Shing gritted his teeth, getting into a fighting stance, one that Han matched in kind. The pressure from his opponent felt overwhelming.

 _How can I beat this guy?_


	31. Legacy of Aang

Both Han and Shing stared at each other inside the confines of the sparring room, which was mostly bare save two calligraphy drawings on each wall. Neither man was willing to make the first move. The trepidation was something that Han was all too happy to point out.

"You know what you allegedly have to do, although I personally blame it on a lack of understanding. But you can't. Your Air Nation brainwashing keeps you from doing it."

His opponent said nothing, only breathing heavily. He knew what he had to do. He did not come this far to flake out.

"HAAA!"

With a forceful dash forward, Shing ran forward, his fists ready to strike. Han smirked. Normally Air Nomad style air bending taught its users to attack from a distance, using the wind to strike, not the fists. The fists were meant as weapons to destroy, which meant that Shing's resolve to kill was present, although how strong that resolve could be was another matter entirely.

"You want to see who's faster?"

The first blow approached Han's head, only for it to be deflected with a strike of his own towards Shing's arm. Looking to deliver his own strike with his right arm, he was surprised when Shing's punch hit the arm, keeping it from reaching its target.

For ten seconds the pair continued to try to hit each other, blocking, striking, and dodging, their air bending assisted strikes moving too quickly for a layman to see without concentrating. However, Han soon saw an opening, a left hook heading directly for Shing's solar plexus. Shing did the only thing he could do.

Shing put up both his hands to block the blow, which along with the wind gust behind the strike pushed him back several feet, although it failed to knock him down. He was upset, if only for a moment, that he didn't dodge the attack like a proper Air Bender, before focusing on the task at hand.

"Your Air Nomad teachings slow your strikes," Han reasoned. "Your development as a warrior is limited because your brain is full of nonsense!"

Adding to his point, Han began rapidly moving his left arm forward as if he was throwing jabs, only for Shing to feel two cuts alongside his cheek. He didn't take long to see what Han was doing, desperately throwing gusts of wind to nullify the razor winds that came towards him. The Grand Lotus, however, was so occupied with his assault that he didn't notice the wind gust that headed towards his legs; sweeping him up and causing him to land face first on the mat.

"You're not as tough as you keep saying," Shing replied, moving in towards Han, but stopped when he leapt into the air, razor winds keeping anyone from getting too close without being cut to ribbons.

"You really are brainwashed, aren't you?" Han asked. "Do you have any idea what you're fighting for?"

Shing was unimpressed with his opponent's continued taunts. "Is this where you tell me your sob story and I'm supposed to feel bad for the murderous tyrant?"

"Tyrant?" Han asked, sounding almost confused at the declaration. "I'm not Chin, or Ozai, or Kuvira. I want to make the world a better place."

"Yeah, everyone says that even as the bodies pile up."

Han shook his head, even as he maintained his fighting stance. "I'm a nice guy. I think my story would prove that much."

* * *

"Suylin! Suylin!"

Midday at the Republic City Air Temple provided a campus that was utterly bustling with activity. With the morning classes having ended, students had an opportunity to either go to lunch or simply relax for some time. There was so much activity that the brown haired woman didn't even notice the panting black haired man running behind her. Still, when she did notice, she offered him a smile.

"Oh, Han! I didn't see you!"

The brown haired girl offered a smile at the panting form behind her. He in turned, offered a smile.

"I'm sorry. It's just Jinora kept me late again. I don't think she likes me very much."

"Oh, don't be that way. You know she means well."

Sighing, the young man looked on at his feet. "I don't know sometimes. I feel like I deserve my tattoos, but…"

"You're not supposed to ask," Suylin replied.

"Easy for you to say. You already have them!"

"Come on. Everyone knows you're smart. She just wants to see something special."

Han sighed, breathing heavily. "Suylin? Can you help me study tonight? How about we go to the coffee shop?"

"I can't," she responded, shaking her head. "I have a date with Jae."

"Jae?" Han asked, his tone doing its best to hide the shock present.

"Yeah! He asked me out to dinner and we're going to go see a movie! I'm sorry I can't be around, but I know you'll impress her if you keep at it!"

 _Hey! Suylin!_

Turning around, a tall man with blue eyes and a shaved head greeted the pair, looking on at Suylin. The bright blue arrow tattoo on his forehead shone in the sunlight. Han sulked, but said nothing.

"Jae!" Han could only sit back as Suylin offered a hug, before going "See you later!" as she walked off hand-in-hand with the man.

"I was friends with her for years. And she goes out with you?"

No one heard him. The man sulked, heading to the lesson with Grandmaster Jinora. Hopefully Suylin's words would ring true.

* * *

"It's all bad! All of it! You're just…pantomiming!"

After finishing his demonstration and once again being berated by Jinora, Han was all but set to break down screaming. Instead, he merely breathed deeply and asked "What did I do wrong?"

"There's no emotion in anything you're doing," Jinora answered, her sharp eyes having observed every portion of the set. "You're just imitating what you've read in books, what you've seen in film. None of it is really 'your' technique. And it's forced and hollow, what an Air Bender should never be."

"I'll try harder," Han answered, to which Jinora shook her head.

"You're missing the point entirely. Go back to your dorm Han. We're done for today."

* * *

"I'm not impressed," Shing began. "You're just mad at the world because you were a bad student and didn't get the girl?"

"I AM A GENIUS!" Han yelled, punctuating his shouts with razor winds that Shing dodged. "None of those fools could see my true talent! It was a toxic environment, and I intend to destroy…ugh!"

The 'ugh' came when Shing, realizing Han was likely a better striker than he was, secured a perfect double leg takedown, dragging Han to the mat into a perfect cross-side position. Posturing up, he landed two quick strikes to the face before moving into a mounted position where he began to grab Han's arm. Before he could complete the armlock, his opponent's free hand fired a razor wind that forced him to leap up, unfortunately allowing Han to stand.

"My Wind Razor isn't like the commercial nonsense that Yuza taught," Han boasted. "I can strike with blades from anywhere!"

"So you taught Yuza wrong?"

"I taught him the basics. He wanted to commercialize it. I'll teach the full thing to a proper successor someday, after you're dead. Most likely my child, well, mine and Korra's."

"That thing isn't Korra!" Shing yelled, inching closer to Han, who took a defensive stance in response.

"You won't take me down again."

"And you're not as strong as you think you are, 'Grand Lotus.'" Han's response was to send a single blade of wind forward, slightly cutting Shing's arm. He smirked at the wound.

"Jinora thought the same thing when I showed her what I had created."

* * *

It was a Friday night and most of the people Han's age were out and about in Republic City. He knew Suylin and Jae were off at dinner, which would likely end with them back at home…he didn't even want to imagine the rest.

He would show them all though. As he sat alone in his room, writing notes as he did so, Han began focusing on the forms present in a nearby book. They were a mixture of old texts on air bending mixed with his private notes on how to adjust the speed of the wind currents. If it worked correctly, he could make the force of a gust of wind sharp enough to cut a boulder in two. With enough power, theoretically he could cut anything to shreds.

He had the rock to test it on. Sighing, knowing no one would see him, he began to practice the blow before delivering it.

 _They all think I'm a joke. I'm trying to be a nice guy and all I get is stepped on. Well I'll show them!_

Putting his hand in a knife-edge position, he swung it towards the rock. A wind blew, but the stone appeared intact. His eyes widened as he looked over the stone, wondering what he could have done wrong. Thoughts of Jinora's mockery and Suylin's rejection for the tattooed Jae ate away at him. With no other way to properly express his frustration he slammed the table where he kept his notes.

And the sound of stones hitting the ground followed. Turning, he looked on at the stone that he had attempted to cut, finding it split perfectly in two. His frustrated scowl soon gave way to a delighted grin.

"It worked. It worked!"

Hurriedly, he began jotting down notes. He had it now! All he had to do was refine some things, and he would have his own personal expression!

"I'll show her! I'll show them all! I'll be the greatest Air Bender in history!"

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the first test, and again, Han stood in front of Jinora, who was again observing those students who believed that they had finally cracked the secret of a true personalized form of air bending, just like she did every month. This was necessary for those that wished to earn their tattoos, as having a personalized interpretation of air bending was vital to the creativity of the art. Or so she claimed when she addressed the class. Sitting down in front of the students on a small pillow, her legs crossed, she looked on at the candidates.

"Han? I trust you've changed your approach since our last conversation." Unlike before, the young man was practically beaming at the prospective challenge.

"Yes, yes I have," Han answered, even as he placed several stones on the ground for his demonstration. "I have created something more powerful than anyone has ever done before."

Bowing respectfully, Han leapt into the air with near-perfect form, landing lightly on his feet. As he did so, a gust rose from the ground towards the sky, propelling the stones into the air.

"HA! HA! ORA ORA ORA!"

Several powerful swipes of his hands followed at the stones, only for all of them to collapse into tiny pieces, sliced apart. The crowd stared in awe.

"I call it 'Tìdāo Fēng Quán', or 'Razor Wind Fist'. This is my contribution to Air Bending as a martial art."

Jinora could only look on at the proud acolyte, who was practically beaming at his accomplishment.

"This is…"

"Yes?"

"THIS IS AN ABOMINATION!" Jinora yelled.

Han appeared visibly distraught at the declaration. "But…it's exactly as you said, it's…"

"It's the exact opposite of everything the Air Nation stands for! What would my father Tenzin or my grandfather Aang say if they found out you turned Air Bending into a tool to kill? What would your father say? Your grandmother isn't with us anymore, but she would be ashamed!"

It was the talk of her grandmother, the one he never saw but was regarded with such reverence that drove Han over the edge. In a fit of rage, he lunged towards Jinora.

"Why don't you ask her, you stupid hag!"?

Two tattooed Air Nomads that stood by Jinora's side moved quickly. A powerful gust of wind shielded Jinora from the razor heading for her head, while a second flung Han into the wall of the training hall. Both took fighting stances as Han did the same. He smirked, recognizing one of Jinora's guardians as Jae.

"I'll show you how powerful I am by slicing these two clowns to ribbons!" Han boasted. "I am a master!"

"No!" Jinora shouted, standing to her feet. "Han, you've shamed the Air Nation here today and you will not be forgiven. I won't turn you over to the police for your grandmother's sake, but you are herby banished from the Air Nation!"

"What? For revolutionizing…"

"Pack your things Han," Jinora curtly ordered. "I want you gone by morning. I don't ever want to see you again.

Han said nothing, but walked out, heading towards his dorm even as the other students stared at him. Once he arrived, he went to his bed and sobbed. The Air Nation was all he ever knew.

* * *

"He attacked Grandmaster Jinora?"

Jae nodded at his date as the continued to sip the tea in front of them. "You sure you don't want to order any dessert?"

Suylin shook her head. "It's fine, I ate earlier. But I can't believe he would do that. What happened? I mean, Han's always seemed a little off to me, but he never spoke up like that."

"He's always been real quiet, you know?" Jae replied. "So after that, Jinora banished him."

"Crazy. I dunno, he always liked to talk to me, but he never seemed very…sociable?"

The pair continued to talk until the tea was finished, at which point they decided to go out for a ride into town. But as they walked out towards where Jae's car was, a hooded man was waiting for them.

"Get behind me Suylin."

"Wh…"

"Look pal!" Jae shouted at the assailant, raising his hands. "I don't know who you are, but I'm not going to let you hurt her!"

"That isn't a decision for you to make," the man replied, swiping his hand in front of Jae's throat. Immediately, he fell to the ground, bleeding. Suylin attempted to scream, but the man covered her throat.

"I loved you. And you betrayed me! They all did!"

"H…Han?"

"I'm sorry. Blame the Air Nation."

 **SLASH!**

* * *

Shing could only look dumbfounded at the story that was told to him, neither side making a move with their bodies or their voices after he had finished. Finally, he spoke up.

"You weren't mistreated. YOU'RE A SOCIOPATH!"

"What? How can you say that?"

"You killed two people in cold blood because one wouldn't go out with you! Jinora shouldn't have had you exiled, she should have had you arrested!"

"I am the Grand Lotus and ruler of this world!" Han replied. "And I will make you BOW!"

Han moved forward, his hands ready to cut anything in their path. "Clearly the problem is your brainwashing. Ozai had the right idea, but he didn't go far enough! If I can't cure your minds, I'll have to destroy your culture so completely no one ever tries to revive it again! I'll build a shrine to Tìdāo Fēng Quán on the bodies of every last Air Nomad!"

"No you won't!"

Rather than go in for another takedown, Shing instead leapt into Han, wrapping his legs around the Grand Lotus' back. While he was on the bottom, the position gave him the opening that he needed. Swiftly, Shing spun around, taking Han's left arm and applying a perfect armbar on it until a sickening **CRACK** was heard.

"AAAAH!"

The Grand Lotus howled in pain as Shing escaped back to his feet. He was vulnerable. One strike would end this. Shing drew one of the knives, and prepared to drive it into Han's black heart.

Only for Han to grab Shing's arm with his right hand, laughing all the while.

"You couldn't overcome Aang's nonsense after all," Han taunted. "Well, let this be a lesson to you. As a wise man once said, HE WHO HESITATES IS LOST!"

A powerful kick knocked Shing to the ground as the knife was thrown to one side, Han readying his free hand to finish his opponent. Han grimaced as he moved forward, prepared to deliver the killing blow, his opponent bleeding from the shoulder.

"You fought well, much better than the last Air Nomad I killed. Your grappling skill is admittedly nothing to scoff at, as my arm can attest to. But at the end of the day, you're still a product of Air Nomad brainwashing. And that's why you can't kill me. It's why Aang couldn't kill Ozai, it's why Jinora banished me when she should have exalted me, and it's why your pitiful assassination attempt failed.

"You sure do like to hear yourself talk, don't you? Your wife doesn't want to hear it?"

"My future wife is busy conquering Zaofu. But you're right. No more talk. Time for action."

Shing grimaced, waiting for the final blow to end his life. Even with the entire world at stake, he couldn't kill. He wasn't sure if he was honoring his people, or if he had failed everyone. All he could see what a white light.

 _Come on. I'm not going to let you die._

The voice sounded familiar as he felt himself being carried. But it couldn't be.

"L…Leena?"

* * *

The light had blinded Han temporarily, but when he looked up, he saw that the Air Nomad had escaped, a trail of blood heading towards the emergency exit. He grimaced. Someone had disabled the fire alarm so they could escape without hassle.

"Coward."

It was tempting to mobilize his forces, to march into Air Temple Island and raze it to the ground, killing every last Air Nomad present. But it would be too rash, too obvious at this point. What he needed was for the troops to take Zaofu, then he could have Korra declare an official edict about how the Air Nation was a poison infecting the world.

All cultures would be one. All peoples would be one. And the world would be a better place. Still, that would have to wait. The throbbing pain in his arm from the broken bone needed to be dealt with.

* * *

 _Try to relax. Some of those cuts are kind of deep._

"W…where am I?"

"Safe house. Safe apartment is more accurate I guess. Fire Nation has a few. Since Republic City went south, they sent me in to have a look over at everything. What were you thinking?"

"Leena," Shing began, standing up from what appeared to be a large bed. "I…I failed."

"What were you trying to do?" she asked. Looking up, Han noticed the woman was wearing what appeared to be a janitor's outfit, presumably so she wouldn't run into anyone that would recognize her.

"I screwed everything up!" Shing shouted. "I don't know where Tong is, and now this. I tried to kill Han."

"It didn't work, did it?" Leena asked.

"I…had him. At least…maybe, I dunno. I think a part of me hesitated. I don't know. I just…what have I done?"

"At this point, not much," Leena confessed. "No one asked you to kill him. Besides, something tells me Tong isn't dead yet anyway."

"What makes you sure?"

"Call it a hunch. Now lie down. You're cut in a lot of places."

Shing nodded, only hoping her words were true, but thinking back to Han's comments at how he was taught. The words of a sociopath shouldn't have stung so deeply, but they would keep haunting him.

Aang wouldn't kill. Ever. And apparently neither would he, for better or for worse.


	32. Showcase

_It's coming right at us! Fall back! Fall back!_

The pillar of flame danced through the city, controlled by the precise movements of fire benders, expressed in the machinations of the massive mecha-tank that had fired the flames to begin with. The few surviving benders and machines that had been put in place to defend the town were overwhelmed by the pillar of flame, forced to retreat in the face of the fire.

From her viewpoint inside the massive purple mecha, Korra smiled. After this, nothing would stop her forces from marching directly into Zaofu. And the hatred she had for Zaofu would make it the most satisfying conquest of the entire lot.

* * *

Saying Zaofu was in the midst of panic would have been a massive understatement bordering on ridiculous. Anyone without a weapon or the ability to bend was taking cover from the ensuing storm. Those willing and able to fight were organized into militias to supplement the exhausted forces of the Earth Republic, which were organizing outside the city.

Most realized that the upcoming battle was not likely going to be won. But considering the Avatar Army's policy during their advance seemed to be to shoot anything that didn't surrender on the first ask, the decision to fight was clear. The command center that had been set up outside of the city perimeter, with tents and various forms of mobile equipment, was facing that harsh reality head on.

"We don't have the forces necessary to hold them off. Especially that…thing Avatar Korra is piloting," an older man with white hair and a short beard lamented.

"That thing has been responsible for most of the long range attacks," another man responded, holding his clean-shaven chin in contemplation. "That monstrosity opens up and then she sends in her grunts to perform cleanup."

"Then what do we do?" a man asked, holding the cap over his head while breathing heavily. "Surrender?"

The older man looked at the maps in front of him and shook his head. "No, this isn't about that. This is about humiliating us."

"What? How can you say that?"

"Avatar Korra's greatest humiliation came in Zaofu when she was defeated in a duel by Kuvira the Uniter. Making Zaofu beg for mercy is her way of getting payback. And I don't think a simple surrender will suffice."

* * *

The ferry came back to Air Temple Island with a man holding his head low. Rohan immediately recognized the passenger and came out to meet him, wearing a black Air Nomad glider suit.

"Shing! What…what happened? You were gone for two days, and…"

"I failed," was all he could say, stepping off the ferry in front of Rohan. "I tried to kill Han, but I couldn't. And now everyone is going to suffer."

Rohan would hear none of it, instead choosing to embrace Shing. "I'm so glad you're alive. I was so worried when you didn't return that something had happened."

"But…"

"It's difficult, I know," Rohan interrupted. "But you can't take the burdens of the world on like this, much less think killing someone is going to solve them. I'm just glad you survived."

"I had help," Shing confessed. "There was someone there who saved me, patched me up, and sent me out."

"That's not important," Rohan reasoned. "What's important is that you're here and alive. Now let's go inside. The chef should be serving lunch soon."

Shing nodded, walking inside the mess hall. All the explanations of what he tried to do, why he couldn't do it, they all were pushed to the side. There was nothing he could say at this point that would mean anything.

He didn't want to tell his grandfather about how Leena finally forgave him either for how rashly he acted prior. Because…it would blow her cover. And that would be bad.

* * *

Korra sat in the chair, somewhat annoyed as the stylist began to apply the makeup to her face. Normally the strong willed woman could care less about frivolous things like makeup, but given that she was being filmed constantly during press conferences and the like, it was important to her image to keep up appearances. In addition, her new, younger visage had unlocked feelings of vanity and pride in her looks, feelings she had not had concerning her body for some time.

She was happy that the call she was on didn't let anyone see her in the middle of the application.

"The troops are going to reach Zaofu by morning," Korra began. "They don't have enough forces left to do anything but surrender."

 _So you plan to let them surrender?_

"I want to humiliate them," Korra answered. "They're well aware of what happened to Zaofu between Kuvira and myself. I'm going to make them bow like the bugs they are, and then the war will be over."

 _Excellent. Your return to Republic City will come with a hero's welcome._

"Are you sure?"

 _We will explain, and it will make sense. It's just a matter of showing people the good we're doing._

"I'm looking forward to what happens next," Korra responded, before clicking off the phone. "But not as much as what I plan to do to Zaofu."

* * *

The army's approach towards the city began as a whisper. Then it escalated into a dull roar. And finally, it was a quaking torrent of noise.

Soldiers, vehicles, mecha tanks, and aircraft all began moving towards Zaofu. In the lead was the massive purple mecha that had come to be identified as the Icon, Avatar Korra's personal battle mecha. The machine stood in front of the army, looming over Zaofu and the forces that had been mustered to defend it.

The arrival of the army wasn't just noticed by the forces defending Zaofu. Press from every nation, every corner of the globe had been mustered to cover the event, many having gone out of their way to get footage of what most assumed was going to be either a public humiliation or complete slaughter. Most were smart enough to get views from outside the city, hidden from where the fighting would begin.

As Avatar Korra's mecha stepped forward, every news station in the four nations focused on her and what she was about to say. Televisions from the Earth State to Republic City to the Water Tribe to the Fire Nation were all focused on what was about to happen.

 _Citizens of Zaofu,_ Korra began. _Your feeble armies have prepared themselves to defend themselves but they know that they can't win this battle. So rather than slaughter you all, I'm going to do what this city did to me all those years ago. Humiliate it._

 _Over 80 years ago, Kuvira challenged me to a duel here, knowing she had cheated to win, and tried to make me look like a fool. Well now it's my turn! I'll let any one 'hero', yes, hero, the way Kuvira was portrayed back then, fight me one-on-one for control of Zaofu. All you have to do is fight me, and my machine. So, is there a champion in this dump brave enough to step forward?_

No one answered the challenge from the opposing side, most having expected Korra to try and humiliate Zaofu, but not in this way. The men on Zaofu's side of the lines stood, unsure of what to do. Their silence was only broken by the formation in front of the army.

"Are those clouds?" a man asked.

"Yeah, it almost looks…wait, what?"

Massive clouds began to gather in front of the city, confusing just about everyone watching. Even Zaofu's forces were confused.

"Is this some smokescreen?"

"No one told me about it."

The clouds continued to form until they resembled a human. Korra gasped at the sight.

"Avatar Kiyoshi?"

Sure enough, the cloud resembled Avatar Kiyoshi near perfectly. Next to her, other clouds began to form into humanoid forms, one with the trademark beard and face of Avatar Roku, and one of Avatar Aang with his Air Nomad tattoos. But it was the last one that stunned the army in front of the clouds.

It was a perfect representation of Avatar Korra. All four of the cloud 'Avatars' raised their hands and pointed them at the machine that stood before Zaofu. Their voices boomed throughout the battlefield.

" **YOU ARE NOT THE AVATAR!"**

The camera crews and armies on both sides were confused as to what this meant, when the four 'Avatars' spoke again.

" **YOU WEAR KORRA'S FACE, BUT YOU ARE AN IMPOSTOR! A CLONE CREATED BY MEN WHO MURDERED AVATAR KORRA!"**

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Korra shouted, pointing towards the army in back of her. "I changed my mind! Attack! Don't leave a single thing alive!"

The armies of benders and machines charged forward, with the clouds taking fighting stances. The advancing forces smirked at this. It was just an illusion, they reasoned.

That illusion was quickly shattered when gales of wind rushed towards the army, pushing men and machine backwards and blowing even anchored mecha tanks to the side like dolls. Korra's eyes widened as she looked on at the crew of the Icon.

"WIND! FULL POWER!"

The mecha's hands extended forward, creating a gale to match the hurricane being directed at it. But its victory was fleeting, as the force of the wind against the machine knocked it off its feet, causing it to crash in front of the army.

"That's impossible!" Korra protested. "Unless an army of air benders are here, they couldn't have done that." Turning to the intercom by the control panel, she yelled aloud "WHO ARE YOU?" Once again, the clouds 'spoke' in unison.

"I AM THE ONE WHO YOU TRIED TO HIDE FROM THE WORLD. FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, I HAD TO HIDE MY FACE AND MY NAME OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. BUT I WILL NO LONGER STAND ASIDE AND WATCH YOU KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF THE AVATAR!"

"What gives you the right to say what the Avatar can't do? WHO ARE YOU?"

The clouds dissipated into nothingness, revealing a massive humanoid spirit, blue in color, with the symbol of Raava, no, the spirit of Raava across his body. Korra gasped at the sight.

 **"MY NAME IS TONG MAO, AND I AM THE AVATAR!"**

* * *

 _2 hours earlier –_

"It's massive."

The tree that stood before Korra, Asami, and Tong lived up to the description given. It towered over any skyscraper Tong had ever seen, its branches extending in all directions. Spirits of all shapes and sizes congregated by it, most staring at the three humanoids curiously before returning to their own business.

"It's actually grown quite a bit since I was here last," Korra noted. "Its branches weren't allowed to bloom for over 10,000 years because its power was keeping Vaatu in check. With Vaatu gone for oh, about another ninety-nine hundred years, it can bloom."

"So I just go inside it?"

"Well, you go inside it and meditate," Korra explained. "The tree itself isn't so much a source of energy so much…it's so much, right Asami?"

"Yeah, it is," Asami reassured her wife. Nodding, Korra continued.

"So much as it is a conduit connecting to the energy of the universe itself. The power you're going to connect to is massive and can't be taken lightly, so be prepared."

"Are you sure about everything else we discussed?" he asked. Korra nodded.

"You're going to need to make a big entrance. It'll announce who you are, and what she is. Not to mention, it'll psyche the fake me out. Throw her off of her game. Besides, it'll look really cool. You do remember how to do it, right?"

"It'll be fine," Tong answered, putting his hand through his hair. "I have you helping me out, right?" The silence from Korra and Asami indicated otherwise, which slightly unnerved him.

"Or not."

"A part of me is always going to be here, with Raava and yourself," Korra explained, putting her hand on her reincarnation's heart. "But my spirit, my essence doesn't live in the back of your mind for all eternity. I'm not just part of Raava, and neither are you. Besides," she continued, holding Asami close, "I need to spend some time with my wife."

Tong nodded, breathing in deeply. "Then this is goodbye."

"Only for now kid," Korra reassured Tong. "You need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Just…knock first, OK?"

And with a friendly wave, the pair disappeared, presumably to their honeymoon. Before they did though, Asami's voice echoed in the wind.

 _Tong? Thanks. For everything._

With the pair gone, Tong sat inside the tree, attempting to meditate the way he was taught. To say he was rusty at it was a grand understatement, as he was used to seeing the Spirit World as a place he was forbidden to go. Still, now he was on his own.

 _No, you're not alone._

"W…who said that?"

 _We have never spoken directly like this, but I have always been here. You seem finally ready to take on your burden._

"R…Raava?"

 _We have little time. I will guide you through this process. Just relax, and try to feel the connection to the greater energy. I promise all will become clear in time._

* * *

The conquest of an entire city shouldn't have been treated like a sporting event. But that's exactly how the announcers treated it when the army approached. From the television in the community room on Air Temple Island, Rohan, Shing, Amit, Tashi, and pretty much any Air Bender in the immediate vicinity viewed the challenge that Korra made in her massive war machine to Zaofu.

Then they saw the clouds resembling past Avatars literally blow Korra's army away. And finally, they saw the gigantic blue spirit ready to battle Korra's mecha on equal footing.

"Tong's alive!" Shing yelled.

"But how?" Amit asked.

"Who cares?" Shing answered. "He's back and he's…blue!" Rohan looked on at the screen, stunned.

"It's just like when Korra fought Unalaq. He is the Avatar."

"Can he win?" Tashi asked. "You saw the footage of that robot!"

"He can win," Rohan calmly answered. "He must win."

* * *

"Not on the TV!"

Mr. Chun could only look on at his daughter performing a spit take at the sight she saw on the television, first annoyed with the fact that she nearly got the tea on his television, and then confused as to what could have caused such a reaction.

"It's him! He's alive!" Kushina yelled, pointing at the TV.

"Who? What the hell is that thing anyway?" he asked, looking on at the massive blue spirit facing Korra's giant robot.

"It's Tong!"

"Tong?" Mr. Chun asked. "The kid you used to hang out with? Wait…wasn't he in town when you left?"

"It's a very long story Dad," Kushina confessed. "How do I put this nicely?"

"Put what nicely? He's somehow become a spirit that's going to fight a tyrannical Avatar. Nothing else you tell me about him is going to surprise me."

Breathing in deeply, Kushina tried to explain the absurdity of the situation even as a battle for the fate of the entire Earth State was about to be fought. "He's…kinda my boyfriend now."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

"That's not possible."

From his office in Avatar Affairs headquarters, Han had hoped to see the final triumph of his future wife over Zaofu. Instead, he saw the true Avatar alive and well, and worse, announcing that he was the real deal to the entire world. Looking on at his mostly healed arm (the water healers had repaired the bone to the point where a sling was no longer necessary, he reached for the phone at his desk.

"Prepare me a helicopter. I'm going to Curive. Yes, I need a shuttle to the Star Flower. Something urgent has come up."

There was no way that Korra could lose to this man. Not after all the time, effort, and funds that were sunk into the Icon. But still, if there was even a slight chance that Korra would be defeated by the Spe…the Avatar, he would have no choice but to initiate his final backup plan.

"Hopefully you're not needed."

* * *

"You're not the Avatar!" Korra yelled from inside the Icon. "I am!"

"Is that so?" Tong taunted. "Would the real Avatar need a battle robot to fight? Unalaq would argue otherwise!"

Korra was set to go into a berserker rage at the spirit in front of her, but soon calmed down. "So then, you're Zaofu's champion?"

"I'm going to stop you, no matter what it takes," Tong answered. But Korra had heard enough.

"Not when you burn along with it!"

Two pillars of flame launched from the flamethrowers on each of the Icon's arms, clearly aimed at the city like the fireballs she had used before. This time however, a massive wall of stone and dirt rose to block the flames from their advance, while a boulder flew off, nailing the machine in the head.

"Arrgh, cannons!"

The head mounted cannons began firing at Tong immediately, who raised a shield of stone to deflect the barrage. A few errant bullets, however, hit Tong, causing him to wince, almost as if being stung by a bee. Unfortunately, that meant he could be hurt in this form.

Behind the shield, he charged forward, hitting the machine twice and driving it back. The mecha's pilots were undeterred however.

 **SHOOM!**

A bright purple blade of light emerged from the right arm of the Icon, slicing the shield in half and nearly taking Tong's head off. Off balance, a wind gust from the Icon knocked the giant astral projection to the ground as the machine moved in.

"You have tricks, but you're no match for the ultimate bending weapon!"

Tong tried to get back to his feet as the machine charged forward, moving back as it continued to slash and fire steel, wind, and flame at the target. Dodging was all he could do, as the assault was relentless. Korra was noticing this as well, and was prepared to end this.

"All troops, prepare to fire on my mark! We'll end this duel in one blow!"

This was bad. All those cannons from the various mecha tanks fired at him would be VERY painful at best, likely life ending at worst, considering that the astral projection felt pain and could be harmed. Even if he somehow dodged the barrage, Zaofu was right behind him. The damage to the city, and the people…

 _Tong,_ a voice began in his head. _From this distance…_

 _But I don't know how to do that!_

 _I can't connect with the Avatars before Korra, but do you think I just instantly forgot how they performed their techniques? Trust me!_

Breathing heavily, reassured by the fact that he was talking with the embodiment of light and not some mere charlatan, Tong readied his right hand, his index and middle fingers pointing forward as his eyes began to glow.

 _Wait for it, wait for it…_

"FIRE!"

 _NOW!_

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

From Tong's right hand emerged a massive bolt of lightning, the sound of thunder booming throughout the battlefield. While Korra's mecha dodged out of the way, the same couldn't be said for her forces, as the lightning bolt ripped through the front lines, utterly decimating anything in their path. Men and women abandoned their vehicles as the lightning incinerated anything in its path; leaving the front line of the 'Avatar Army' nothing but charred metal and destroyed vehicle parts. Tong's face was one of fury as the blue astral projection continued to guide the bolt of lighting through the ranks of the army, focusing on destroying machines and weapons. When the lightning finally ceased, nearly all of the advanced troops behind Korra were destroyed, the rear saved if only by the machines in the front acting as a shield. Breathing heavily, (a concept he didn't think about too heavily being an astral projection) Tong turned to face Korra's mecha, which had its laser blade drawn.

" You can lightning bend," Korra mocked. "But even your power has limits."

"You don't even have power," Tong shot back. "You need a machine to fight because you aren't the Avatar! And now the whole world will see your lies!"

"I've had it with your tricks!" Korra yelled. "If you're so tough…"

The sound of machinery whirred as the front panels of the Icon swung open, revealing two huge cannons, purple energy gathering around them.

"Then try and stop me from leveling this hole in the ground!"

They looked like Spirit Vine cannons. Even if they weren't, they would level Zaofu. Seeing this, Tong grabbed a massive pillar of stone and began running towards the machine.

"You're insane! If you shoot that at Zaofu, you'll kill thousands of people!"

"I AM THE AVATAR!"

 **BOOM!**


	33. Identity

The explosion could be seen across the battlefield as both the Icon and the astral projection of Tong were caught in the middle of it. But its bright light as fleeting, as both spirit and machine were tossed to the side, Tong fallen to the ground, struggling to move, and the Icon without its right arm, standing still as a statue. The ruined arm of the Icon stood before it, the machine leaking oil and other fluid from the scorch marks on its metal body.

"Avatar Korra!" a man began inside the machine. "He's down! He took the blow for Zaofu!"

"Then he's an idiot," Korra responded. "Let's finish him off!"

"We can't! Everything's offline!"

"Nothing is working?"

"No ma'am. Engines are shot, the flamethrower and water hoses have been disconnected, the Smasher Cannons are utterly fried, and the computers have crashed! It's going to take at least several minutes to get her walking!"

"Useless machine!" Korra yelled. It was becoming clear to the crew that the normally calm Avatar was letting anger take control. They didn't have long to ponder her reactions before she barked another order.

"Send in all available troops! Finish him off! Have the rest take Zaofu!"

With the order given, benders and mecha tanks charged the fallen giant as he struggled to move, their weapons firing.

Only for a massive wall of stone to block the assault.

"Defend the Avatar!" shouted a group of earthbenders as they continued to erect defensive walls around Tong.

"The Avatar?" another soldier asked.

"The real one!"

Mecha tanks from Zaofu moved in to defend Tong from the assault of Korra's forces, but they appeared badly outnumbered, several being destroyed immediately while Benders were helpless against the sheer volume of artillery fire. From her vantage point in the dormant Icon, Korra grinned.

"I guess we're going to have that massacre after all."

"Madame Avatar! We're picking up a group of airships dropping forces onto the battlefield! They're Fire Nation!"

"WHAT?!"

Sure enough, jets and mecha tanks, all with the Fire Nation emblem, entered the fray, attacking the forces of the Avatar Army. From one of the aircraft, a voice spoke.

 _I am Commander Hiroji Zan of the Fire Nation military, and we are officially offering our formal support to the Earth Republic in this war. We will not allow an act of senseless aggression to be initiated against an allied nation, especially by a woman falsely claiming to be the Avatar!_

"How dare you!" Korra yelled, her rant cut short by the men inside the Icon.

"More signals! They're…Water Tribe!"

The question of "From where?" was answered as Korra's troops began to approach Zaofu, only to meet a line of Water Tribe mecha tanks, firing at the advancing forces, and bringing the advance on Zaofu to a crashing halt. A large ground carrier next to the tanks began blaring a message even as Korra's forces were forced to run for cover.

 _This is Commander Ulva of the Joint Water Tribe Defense Force. As of this moment, the Water Tribes are at war with the Avatar Army and the false Avatar. And this means helping our allies in the Earth Republic resist the aggression of a tyrant!_

With the entirety of the Avatar Army's advanced front having been wiped out by Tong's lightning bending, and the arrival of significant reinforcements to bolster what were the outmatched defenses of Zaofu, what was supposed to be an easy victory turned into a massive battle. The remaining forces of the Avatar Army were more than capable of putting up a fight, Smasher Cannons from Skull Knights blasting apart mecha tanks from a distance as the remainder moved in for the kill. But with the positioning of the mecha, and their full awareness of the situation, the usual blitzkrieg tactics Korra's forces employed were nowhere near as efficient as they proved to be prior. Refusing to budge, both sides locked horns, attempting to drive the other back.

"Madame Avatar! We have movement again! All weapons still offline!"

"Fine!" Korra shouted, the machine moving to grab a large jagged piece of stone. "I only need one weapon to end this! Zaofu won't be so eager to resist once I kill their champion for good!"

* * *

"Oh no, no, no no!"

Kushina gasped, her hands over her mouth as she saw the footage of the battle, Korra completely willing to blast Zaofu to nothingness in order to goad Tong, and the ensuing explosion knocking him to the ground, and leaving Korra's machine damaged.

"Get up you idiot!" she yelled at the TV, only for her father to restrain her.

"It's a television. He can't hear you."

"He can't go down like this! We've been through too much for it to end like this! GET UP!"

Her father looked on, offering a hand to comfort Kushina, even as he stared on at the screen. An entire city, no the entire Earth Republic's fate depended on this battle. But his little girl wasn't a fool, right? No, if she saw something in this man, then he had to be more than capable of doing what he set out to do. Because if he didn't, no, he didn't even want to think about that.

* * *

 _This new 'Avatar' is down! Ladies and gentlemen, the sheer force of the explosion could be felt even here! But it appears Zaofu is safe. I can't say the same for the two combatants however!_

Rohan and the others stood at the television agape at the sight of Tong taking the blow for the city, and the ensuing destruction that followed. The Grandmaster was disgusted at what he saw.

"Shooting civilians! This…can't be the same Korra that came here!"

"Korra came here?!" Shing asked, but Rohan shook his head.

"A Korra came here. A clone. It appears Han threw that one away, and upgraded to a more sadistic model."

"But that mecha's trashed!" Amit protested. "She took it just as bad!"

"Yes, but the pilot is likely fine. I only hope Tong can get up before what happens next!"

Shing meanwhile, looked on at his friends' declaration and his sacrifice. He was stunned into silence at first, but that silence was soon replaced with a grin.

"He's finally embracing it."

Maybe his stupidity would have a positive benefit after all.

* * *

It was difficult to move. It was difficult to even think straight.

 _Get up!_

The last thing he remembered was trying to block that cannon with a pillar of summoned stone.

 _Fight!_

That was a mistake, but the damage inflicted on Korra's death robot ensured it wasn't in vain. Looking around though, he didn't see the machine, but hundreds of tiny men and machines engaging in a fierce battle.

"I can't get up," he confessed. "Is this all I can do?"

 _The whole world is counting on you!_

"They look like toys," he mused, still unable to get up. "If only I could get up."

 _OPEN YOUR EYES!_

Looking forward, Tong saw the battered but still functional form of the Icon with a jagged piece of stone, ready to end the battle. Out of sheer instinct, he put his hands forward, a gust of wind driving the machine back but not with enough force to knock it down.

"Stop resisting!" Korra shouted, her frustrations more evident by the sentence.

Tong again struggled to lift his body, but to no avail. There had to be something, anything that could get him moving again.

 _You should know by now 'One with the elements' isn't just a saying._

He could feel the water inside a tank on Korra's mecha. Presumably it was there so it could be used a weapon like a water sac. But perhaps he could use it for something else.

Moving his arms, the water began to bounce to and fro inside the tank until it burst through the holes created. It surrounded Tong like a cocoon, hiding him from view.

"Missiles are back online Madame Avatar!"

"Then blast him!"

From the left arm, missiles fired at the water cocoon. They raced towards their target, the pilot of the Icon ignorant of the bubbles that emerged from the water. Each one surrounded a missile before it could hit its intended target, floating in the air harmlessly before gently reaching the ground, unexploded.

"He's taunting me!" Korra shouted. "Get the Smasher Blade online! Let's see his stupid bubbles stop that!"

From inside the cocoon, Tong felt the restorative powers of the water clearing his head and allowing him to move. But as he looked forward, he didn't see just the Icon.

He saw millions of people looking on at the battle, hoping, praying that he would be able to conquer the threat before him.

He saw the people that White Lotus had made suffer. Directly or not, people died because of their actions. It was unforgivable for him to see.

And he saw, finally, the hope that he had given them in the face of this tyrant and her army. Not just his friends, not just her, but entire nations that wanted to be free of tyranny. It made his quest to avenge his father's death seem so petty in comparison, so small scale, that he couldn't help but be humbled.

 _I really have been just feeling sorry for myself this whole time, haven't I?_

 _Does it matter? Humans are flawed. Spirits are flawed. But you have a chance to fix those flaws now! So get up and fight!_

 _Well, I have an idea._

… _Bold, even for one as powerful as the Avatar._

 _This has to be decisive! I need to stop the fake Korra and her army at the same time!_

Unaware of the conversation going on inside the cocoon, Korra looked on, waiting for the signal so she could finish the fight. Sure enough, it came.

"Blade back online! But that's all we're getting! Everything else is damaged beyond repair!"

"It'll be enough!"

 **SHOOM!**

The bright purple blade extended from the machine as it charged its target, prepared to end the battle decisively. As it did so, the water cocoon finally broke, the water racing into the sky, black clouds forming over the battlefield. Even the soldiers, preoccupied with their own battle, couldn't help but notice the darkening skies. Korra however, was too preoccupied with her target, having revealed himself, again standing tall.

"Now you're mine!"

 **CRACK!**

A bolt of lightning emerged, not from Tong, but from one of the clouds, then from another until five of them struck the giant. To Korra, it looked like the man was conceding defeat, prepared to destroy himself, but Tong knew better. Relentlessly she charged forward, blade at the ready.

"DIE, _AVATAR_ TONG! DIE!"

Tong's arms shout out straight ahead, his hands cupped forward towards Korra as he looked on. He knew what needed to be done. He was calm. Raava would guide him, and so would Korra. The real Korra.

 **BOOM!**

An bright streak of white lightning emerged front Tong's hands, striking the Icon dead center. Its blade shimmered out of existence, its parts burned and scorched black, and the machine itself was slowly being turned into nothing but a pile of molten slag. She screamed in rage as computers and other equipment exploded around her, taking the rest of her crew with her. She was completely unaware of the other benders on board that aided her 'bending' and that they too had met their end. With nothing left on board the Icon, Korra ran for an escape hatch and leapt out, the water from a water sac breaking her fall. Looking on, she saw the machine falling to the ground, nothing but a charred torso. The noise of the thunder was loud enough to stop the battle as all sides looked at the destroyed war machine.

The clouds cleared on the battlefield as Korra looked on at the blue giant, the spirit of Raava inside him and not her. She screamed.

"You think I've lost? I'M THE AVATAR! ME!"

Tong looked on at his comparatively diminutive opponent before responding.

"Then fire bend."

"What?"

"Fire bend!" he shouted, loud enough so that everyone present could hear it. Korra grimaced, swinging her arms, but nothing emerged. Two soldiers from Korra's army, a waterbender and a man with a rifle, looked on at their leader.

"You can't…can you?"

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Korra shouted, raising her arms in Earthbending, Airbending, and Firebending techniques, but all to no avail. Murmurs began to echo among Korra's men.

"She's a fraud!"

"She's not the Avatar!"

"They hired us to do her dirty work!"

"I quit!"

Soldiers threw down their arms, removed the emblems on their uniforms, and refused to help Korra. Watching all of this, her only response was pure rage.

"I AM THE AVATAR! YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH IT!"

Grabbing the rifle from the soldier next to her, Korra began firing it madly at the blue giant before her. It was as effective as trying to fight a tank with a wood stick, the tiny bolts amounting to little more than bug stings.

"It's over!" Tong shouted. "Your army has abandoned you! You're not the Avatar! Throw down your weapon!"

"I AM KORRA, AND I AM THE AVATAR!"

It was that last sentence that finally drove Tong over the edge. The two soldiers next to Korra ran as Tong balled his fist and sent it crashing towards the earth.

"YOU'RE NOT KORRA!"

 **CRASH!**

The fist of the Avatar struck the ground, annihilating everything beneath it as Tong looked on. He felt no guilt over destroying the insane automaton. Korra, the real Korra, deserved better.

"This war is over!" Tong shouted to the collected armies. "The Avatar is not a conqueror or a tyrant! Throw down your weapons! You've all been tricked into following a false Avatar! I won't let this senseless battle go on any longer!"

Anyone from Korra's army who was on the fence about surrendering was convinced not by the speech in and of itself, but the fact that Korra and her terror weapon were destroyed by a blue giant that actually could bend all four elements, and proved to be powerful enough to take on an entire army in this form. The allied defenders of Zaofu moved in to detain the members of Korra's army, who were no longer willing to resist. Once Tong had satisfied himself that Korra's army was no longer a threat, he left the battlefield, his spirit returning back to the spirit world.

"I am the Avatar, and the Avatar is not a tyrant." The words echoed even as the surrender and detaining of the soldiers continued.

* * *

 **CRASH!**

"Regent Xing!"

The former Emperor of the Earth Kingdom panicked when he saw the Korra he had willingly surrendered the entire country to outed as a fraud. But he only had a few minutes to ponder what he saw before members of the Dai Lee burst into the room, flanked by commanders in the army.

"What are you doing?" Xing asked, only for the Dai Lee to restrain him to the wall with hand-shaped stones, their favored weapons.

"You're under arrest for high treason!"

"Treason! I am the Emperor of the Earth Kingdom!" The military uniform wearing man would hear none of Xing's protests, however.

"You sold our country out to a fake Avatar! Take him away!"

The stone restraints were adjusted so that Xing's arms were behind him as he was taken to prison. All the while, he continued to protest.

"I had no idea she was a fake!"

* * *

Across the nations and the United Republic, the situation was the same. Police, soldiers, and figures of authority raided Avatar Affairs buildings, most of the rank and file in various states concerning 'Korra's' reveal as an impostor, but few willing to resist. The ability to resist decreased significantly when the few still loyal to the cause faced benders and weapons.

The amount of information found was staggering, and yet significant pieces of the puzzle were missing. Information concerning bought off officials, integration into governments, and military production were all present and accounted for. The military machines, abandoned by soldiers unwilling to fight, were taken by the various nations to use for their own forces. But the mastermind behind the charade was nowhere to be found.

* * *

The group waited at the Spirit Portal like they had for the past two days, coming a few times a day to see if he would finally return. So far, he hadn't shown. Regardless, knowing how time in the Spirit World operated, Rohan, Shing, Kushina, Amit, Tashi, and Leena (who, other than Shing, kept her presence in the city hidden until it was safe) continued their vigil, knowing he would come back.

"Are you sure he's going to take this portal?" Amit asked.

"He'll take this one," Rohan answered. "The alternatives aren't exactly easy to travel in."

Peace had returned to Republic City with the diffusing of the obvious tension. The people who a few days ago were ready to riot in the streets had returned to normal business, meaning that traffic was just as congested as ever. The Spirit Portal Park was opened as well, with the various spirits and tourists mingling by the portal.

The group had been ready to head home for the day when finally, a lone form emerged from the portal, wearing a green shirt and a somewhat confused expression.

"You guys...knew I was coming?"

"TONG!"

Kushina's voice rang out through the forest as she ran forward to embrace her boyfriend, his strong arms holding her tight even as he appeared surprised at their presence.

"You dummy!" she yelled. "How could you scare me like that?!"

"I'm sorry," Tong answered. "It wasn't my idea, but I had to keep my promise."

The pair was all but set to kiss when they felt the observing eyes of the others watching their every movement. Looking on at the group, Tong offered a friendly if somewhat confused wave while Rohan stepped forward.

"It was obvious the South Pole portal was out of the question considering how far it is from civilization. And the North Pole is still a significant travel to the main cities. Not to mention, once you're there you need to book a flight, and I doubt you had your wallet on you. It was easy to figure it out from there, especially after that stunt you pulled."

"I…"

"Saved the world," Tashi noted. "You're really the Avatar."

The group looked on at Tong, who only smiled. "Yes. I am. But…"

"But?" Rohan asked.

"Can we get something to eat? I'm kinda hungry."

* * *

"You met Korra?"

"The real Korra," Tong explained, even as the group sat down in the mess hall to eat. Tong of course, was regaling the group with his adventures in the Spirit World, while Kushina explained what happened to the others at the Grand Archive. "She helped put everything in perspective for me. But you're saying these Black Petals are dead?"

"Yup," Amit answered. "Got blown up by Han's death ray. Speaking of…"

"The raids didn't find Han," Leena noted. "He skipped out, but to where I don't know."

"Well the important thing is that White Lotus no longer has an army to lead," Rohan reasoned. "We've won the day."

The whole while, Shing stood silent, unsure of how to explain himself. Clearing his throat, he finally began.

"…I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" Tong began, Kushina practically glaring a hole in the Air Nomad as he began his confession.

"When we were at the Spirit Portal…I kinda…pushed you in."

"What?!"

"I…I was so worried about making you the Avatar, and my idiot brain thought 'Send him on a spiritual journey!' I wasn't thinking straight! I swear! And I almost…"

Tong shook his head when he heard this. "I should be pissed off, but…if I hadn't gone to the Spirit World, I wouldn't have met Korra. I wouldn't have figured out how to beat the fake and her Colossus knockoff. Your plan kinda worked. So, thanks. Really."

Shing said nothing, tears slightly forming in his eyes. "I just felt like I doomed the world! And everyone around me, and…"

"Han," Amit grimaced.

"Well, yeah, I almost broke my most sacred vow to…"

"No, the radio! Han! Turn it up!"

Wasting no time, Kushina turned up the radio, as an all-too-familiar voice began blaring.

… _Most of my men have abandoned White Lotus, most of the nations believe me to be a fraud. This was for your own good! And if the nations will not be guided by my gentle palm, they will be guided by my iron fist! And to demonstrate what will happen to any nation that resists me, I will show my power against the constant scourge on this planet, the Air Nomads! Namely, Air Temple Island! The Air Nomads are scum and must…_

The blood drained from Rohan's face as soon as he heard that. Smashing a fire alarm, he ran out of the building, yelling as loudly as he could.

"EVERYONE EVACUATE AT ONCE!"

Any acolyte or teacher within earshot took the immediate cue and leapt off the island for safety. Non-benders were taken with benders and headed into the ocean for safety, while others took the docked ferry and quickly began moving it. Tong and the others all leapt for their lives off of a cliff, using bending to slow their descent, while Tong made it a point to hold Kushina in his arms as they leapt off the island.

Not three seconds after they hit the water along with dozens if not hundreds of other Air Nomads, they saw it. Emerging from the heavens like a hammer of divine wrath, a beam of purple energy struck the island, annihilating anything still on it, buildings, artifacts, and those too slow to make it off the island itself. The look of horror on everyone's face as Air Temple Island was flattened into nothingness was unrelenting.

"No!" Rohan cried, seeing his family's home annihilated by a beam from the heavens. "NOOOOOOOOO!"


	34. Expecting a Miracle

_Attention Star Flower, this is Shuttle 02. Grand Lotus is aboard._

 _Roger Shuttle 02, you are cleared for landing._

Flanked by mecha tanks, specially modified to fly in the vacuum of space, the white and grey spacecraft docked with the space station. From a center structure, divided into three sections, were six equally divided panels that served as the 'buds' of the flower, responsible for collecting solar energy, regulating the balance and gravity of the station, and if need be, deploying weapons.

The shuttle itself landed in a bay in the middle section of the station's 'stem'. From it emerged masked guards in black and grey uniforms, flanking a man in a blue and white military uniform, still wearing his cape and the symbol of Raava on it proudly.

"Welcome Grand Lotus Han."

"Where is the central station? I have an announcement to make."

"This way Grand Lotus."

The soldiers eventually led Han to a circular room full of terminals, people furiously working away on computers, monitoring every aspect of the station. On a raised platform in the center of the room was a leather chair, allowing the commander to view not only the entire room, but also the monitors that surrounded every wall. Smiling, he went to the chair, noticing the plethora of switches and buttons by it. Immediately, he pressed one.

"Attention all crew. You are the chosen few. My most loyal troops, those who believe even in the Realignment after Korra was defeated. The rank and file has abandoned us, but now we get to show them the error of their ways in the most humiliating way possible. The gentle palm of our initial plan was rejected by the world. So now we must prepare the iron fist. I have prepared this plan in the hopes it would not be necessary, but now, now we must act, and we must be decisive. The future of the world is at stake, as is your continued survival. That is all."

Satisfied with the speech he made to his crew, Han pressed a second button, looking out at the people by the monitor's.

"We have overridden all network television and radio feeds, Grand Lotus."

"Then let us begin."

The face of Han appeared everywhere, in the televisions in Convergent Square, the radios in cars, and in feeds everywhere from Capital City to the Water Tribes. People stopped what they were doing after noticing the mustachioed man in the military outfit, some recognizing him as Korra's chief advisor, others utterly confused as to what the man wanted.

 _Ladies and Gentlemen: My name is Han, Grand Lotus of White Lotus and the former chief advisor to the late Avatar Korra. You have all abandoned the Avatar after she had shown a path to everlasting peace. We had tried to use a gentle hand to end civil war, end strife, and unite all peoples. What did you do? You spat in my face, claimed you preferred the 'real Avatar', and now my fiancé Korra is dead. Now I must act to rectify this._

 _Aboard the Star Flower, a space station built by Avatar Korra, is a spirit vine cannon that can target any location in the entire world._

 _Most of my men have abandoned White Lotus, most of the nations believe me to be a fraud. This was for your own good! And if the nations will not be guided by my gentle palm, they will be guided by my iron fist! And to demonstrate what will happen to any nation that resists me, I will show my power against the constant scourge on this planet, the Air Nomads! Namely, Air Temple Island! The Air Nomads are scum and must be wiped from the face of the earth, so that all cultures and their progressions may thrive! With that thought in mind, the first target of my demonstration will be the center of this regressive culture, Air Temple Island in Republic City!_

The camera feed for the video then cut to the outside of the station, someone clearly filming it for posterity. It showed the beam of purple light fire from the space station towards the planet. Those in Republic City didn't need to view the feed though, as they saw the bright purple light fall from the heavens, its power bombarding Air Temple Island.

 _I know what you're thinking. Why can't we just attack the bad man and his space station? First, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm trying to help the world, and you spat in my eye. Secondly, any attack on this space station would be a useless gesture. My cannon will swat any missile approaching this station like a mere insect. And if you did manage to hit it, the spirit vine reactor and cannon will fall from the sky, right on top of whatever nation fired the missile, the cannon firing all the while. The end result will be ground wiped as smooth as glass where this space station crashes, a testament to your failures. And likely millions if not billions dead, but really, that would be secondary._

 _My demands are simple and non-negotiable, but given how sudden it is, I will give you time to meet them. First, the complete surrender of all nations to White Lotus within 72 hours. Second, Avatar Tong is to surrender himself to me immediately, where he will be executed for what he did to my fiancé! And third, all members of the Air Nomads are to surrender themselves to me, so that I may wipe their scourge out from the planet._

 _You believed my cause lost. The truth is that you have merely forced me to be harsher to realize it._

* * *

After ten minutes of waiting by the shore of the island, confident that there would be no more blasts from space, the surviving Air Nomads on the island, several hundred from a population of at least two thousand, went back to survey the damage. While Rohan's call to action saved many lives, and there were others who were out when the blast hit, still others were not so lucky. But what awaited the survivors couldn't be put into words.

Literally everything on the island was atomized into dust, only brown dirt and charred grass remaining. Trees, buildings, and anything else were all pounded into nothingness by the blasts from the spirit vine cannon.

When Rohan saw the destruction, he fell to his knees and wept.

"Dad! Meelo! Jinora! Ikki! I'm so sorry!" he bawled. "I'm so sorry! This was…this was…" Unable to finish the words, he instead wept at the sight. Shing, Amit, and Tashi all went up to the Grandmaster, even as he pointed to where some of the dust had settled.

"The Airbending gates stood here since Aang first founded the island. I still remember my first sessions on them. And over there was the garden that Jinora had put in with the statues of the other grandmasters. And there was the gazebo, the one Dad and Jinora taught me how to meditate on. Do you know how many students I taught there?"

The tears still flowing, Rohan repeated his assessment of what he found. "It's all gone. Everything my father ever built, everything my family left me, it's gone. It was all I had left of them, and it's all gone."

"Han," Tashi repeated, less a question and more a statement of facts. "He wants to kill us all."

"He hates Air Nomads," Shing added. "When we fought, he told me that he blamed Jinora for exiling him from the Air Nation. He wants to destroy the Air Nation as a culture, completely and utterly. And he won't stop till we're all dead."

Tong was quick to sneer at the explanation of Han's behavior.

"He's insane."

"Worse than him have tried," Rohan replied, standing to his feet, and wiping the tears from his face. "They failed. So will he. His army has abandoned him."

"He's desperate," Leena concluded. "He's backed into a corner with a doomsday weapon and that's making his trigger finger very itchy."

The statement was accented by the sounds of buzzing helicopters, as the survivors all prepared for battle. But what approached wasn't an army.

"Are those…news copters?" Amit asked.

"Everyone and their mother saw that blast," Leena answered. "They're going to want answers."

Sure enough, helicopters from at least six different news stations landed on the island, crews of reporters and cameramen emerging. Looking on, they immediately zoomed in on their target.

"Avatar Tong! What do you say to the Grand Lotus' demand for your surrender?"

"Avatar Tong! Why have you waited until now to reveal yourself?"

"Avatar Tong! Why didn't you stop the spirit vine cannon?" Tong practically yelled at the last question.

" **How the hell was I supposed to do that?!"**

"You're the Avatar!" a man shouted. "You're supposed to fix things! How could you let this happen?"

The questions continued relentlessly, Tong utterly at a loss for words for how to handle them. Mercifully, before he could put his foot in his mouth, Rohan intervened.

"It's been a very busy week for the Avatar," Rohan explained, "and we have yet to fully assess the situation. We will make a statement tomorrow, I promise."

The reporters continued to pester Rohan with questions about what had happened and their reactions while Tong and the others looked on. He was unsure of what to say or to do.

"You know anywhere we can lay low?" he asked.

"Come on," Kushina answered. "You can stay at my dad's place for now."

* * *

It had only been a day since Tong had returned, and once again, panic and tension gripped Republic City, people unsure of what to do next, or if White Lotus' death ray would strike them where they stood. The people were looking for something to direct their anger and fear towards.

Unfortunately for Tong, he fit the bill perfectly, being utterly mobbed as he went to the address Kushina had given him, all because he had decided to get some drinks rather than raid her father's fridge. The black vest and hood he wore weren't nearly enough to throw off everyone he passed, as he was quickly flagged down.

"Hey! You're the Avatar! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be stopping this?"

"I have to look over my options," Tong answered a group of hecklers, only for them to scoff at it. The lead heckler, a dark skinned Earth State woman, shook her head at this.

"Everyone saw you turn into a giant spirit to fight Korra's doomsday robot! You're telling me you can't shoot lightning into space and blow up the death ray?"

"It's more complicated than that," Tong protested, but the hecklers were having none of it. The questions became more provocative and ridiculous, the crowd clearly trying to goad the Avatar into either guaranteeing action against the threat of White Lotus or making an ass of himself. The questions only irritated him until he yelled, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!"

"TURN YOURSELF IN!" a man in the crowd shouted.

"Some Avatar, huh?" a second asked. "He'd rather save his own hide than save the people!"

"If we turn him in, White Lotus won't attack us!"

"Let's get him!"

The crowd was riled by the argument of the one heckler, the group advancing on Tong. He instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, which only encouraged the hecklers.

"See? He's a coward! I say we take him!"

The crowd of at least forty began to move in to restrain Tong when the sudden sound of police sirens interrupted them. Using the distraction to his advantage, Tong fled into the crowd, keeping the hood over his head tight as he went to the address Kushina had given him. The doorman, initially suspicious, let him pass when he verified with the occupant that he was invited, and not just a bum off the street. Once finally there, he sat on the couch, utterly exhausted. The occupant's look was not a welcoming one.

"Avatar Tong refuses to give self up. Avatar Tong a coward. It's all over people's personal sites."

"This isn't a job for me!" Tong shouted even as he opened up a bottle of the lemon shandy in the bag. "This is for the military!"

"Um, in case you haven't realized it yet," Kushina protested, "this is exactly your job! People are terrified! And they're looking to the Avatar, the one that Han just demanded to surrender, to fix things!"

"I can't just punch Han from here!" Tong answered. "What am I supposed to do?"

"WE," Kushina began, putting extra focus on the word 'we', "need to come up with a plan. He's cornered, he's desperate, but he has a very big gun. Besides, I know how that thing works."

"You do?"

"I was doing zero-G tests for Megaroad when they were testing mecha tanks for space combat, but no one told us that this was what they were going to be guarding."

"We need to go into outer space," Tong reasoned. "But no one's going to listen to me!" This last statement caused Kushina to nearly hit her head on the table in front of the couch.

"YOU'RE THE AVATAR!" Kushina yelled. "I get this is new to you, but you are LITERALLY the most influential person on the entire planet right now! And I hate to say it, but a lot of countries kind of owe us, BIG for saving them. The Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Republic AND the Earth Kingdom both expressed their gratitude to you…"

"KUSHINA! I'M HOME!"

Tong looked on at the door when it opened, revealing an older looking man, his facial hair styled into a goatee, with a stocky, short frame that seemed to radiate power. Looking on at his guest, he stared down Tong like a lion observing its prey. After a minute of silence, he finally spoke.

"You look bigger on TV. Bluer too."

"Hi," was Tong's response. "It's…complicated."

"Is that why you're in my home?"

"I was invited. By your daughter Mr. Chun."

Tae Chun just scoffed at the notion, his eyes not leaving their observation of Tong for a moment. "She said you were her boyfriend. Is that true?"

After another awkward moment of silence, Tong answered, "Yes."

"Then why shouldn't I rip your head off right now?"

"DAD!" Kushina yelled, only for Mr. Chun to raise his hand as if to say "Calm down."

"There's plenty of people that want to do that outside," Tong replied. "Do you really think turning me over to the Grand Lotus is going to do anything but convince him that he can get what he wants by pointing his death ray at people?"

Tae Chun smiled at that, reaching into Tong's bag for one of the bottles. "Then you're not a coward." Grabbing a bottle opener, he removed the cap and sat on the couch next to the young man, having a sip of the ale. "So then, what are you going to do?"

"I need to get up there," Tong answered. "I need to get up to Han's space station and disable that death ray. But that would require a spaceship, and I don't have one."

Kushina was quick to agree, although unlike Tong and Mr. Chun, elected to stick with a cup of tea as she sat down on the couch. "We would need to have the world's nations send ships into space in a coordinated effort, including some dummy launches to keep them from being swatted out of the sky. Once there, we would have to have a party board Han's space station and disable the cannon internally. Finally, we would need to bring Han in so he can face justice."

"So you know what you have to do," Mr. Chun reasoned, pausing to sip from the bottle, "then what's stopping you?"

"Why should people listen to me?" Tong asked again, only for both Kushina and her father to yell at him in unison.

"BECAUSE YOU'RE THE AVATAR IDIOT!"

"So what do I do?" Tong asked. "Just call the Firelord and have see if we can put together a joint conference? I don't see that ending well."

Mr. Chun shook his head at this statement. "And here I thought you had the guts. You're not even going to try? The alternative is to wait for someone else to do it."

Tong looked out the window, putting the bottle down on the table. He saw people nervous, people looking up towards the sky in terror of what might come down, and people doing their best to get on with their lives. It made his apprehensiveness disappear rather quickly.

"Kushina, we need to head for the President's building."

"I'll get Dad's car ready."

"Wait, MY car?" Mr. Chun asked.

"Well, yeah, it's in the parking garage. And I just got back to Republic City, remember?"

Mr. Chun nodded, but not before looking at Tong deeply. "You made a good first move, getting me a drink. But I'm not done with you yet. Once you're done saving the world, we're going to have a very long talk about my daughter."

"Sure," Tong answered. Kushina meanwhile, was just annoyed at her father's posturing.

"Dad? I'm right here. And I'm not 12."

* * *

"I need to see President Kyodai."

"What?! Why the hell should I let someone off the street see the President? He's in conference! It's very important!"

"Because I'm the Avatar, and I know what he's talking about in there concerns me directly."

The broad shouldered guard looked on at the visitor before shaking his head. "I have orders not to let anyone in, Avatar or no. You'll have to wait here till…"

"It's OK. He's with me."

Turning around, Tong and Kushina saw Rohan, wearing a clean pair of robes, walking inside the building as the guard hastily offered a salute. Smiling, they followed the Grandmaster towards the conference room.

"I do act as the representation of the Air Nation," Rohan explained. "So they'll have to let you in as my guest."

"I appreciate it," Tong answered. Rohan however, merely smiled and shook his head.

"It's time to show the world what you can do. I'm just leaving the door open."

With that said, the group soon found themselves in a massive conference room, the table in the center emblazoned with the symbol of the United Republic while on monitors, the leaders of both the Northern and Southern Water Tribles, the Earth Kingdom and Earth Republic, and the Firelord all stood looking at the clean shaven suit clad man at the head. His receding hairline and spectacles didn't detract from the air of authority that he gave off, even as he looked on at his new guests.

"Ah, Grandmaster Rohan. Please come in. I see you bought…a guest."

"Hello Mr. President," Tong began, bowing formally to both President Kyodai and the images on the monitors. Firelord Kaede was quick to respond.

"Funny. The last time we met, you didn't mention you were the Avatar."

"Honored Firelord, it was a matter of secrecy. The people who kept up the façade about Korra were hunting me, and I didn't want to blow my cover or endanger your nation any more than it had been in the Capital City attack."

"Understandable," Kaede answered. "Please sit, but don't expect to rest on your past laurels with me. If you can't help us, then leave."

"We have what Han wants!" the man from the Earth Kingdom began, his head covered by a small hat that was worn by his predecessor. "We should surrender him and then use the time to plan a counterattack!"

"You're just as cowardly as Xing, Emperor Hiresh!"

"I am not advocating surrender! Just that we use the Avatar to buy us some time!"

"After what the Avatar did against the fake Korra? Out of the question!"

"What other options do we have?"

"Excuse me!" Rohan shouted, "but Han's demand includes the total genocide of my people! And I will be damned if I let any of you placate that madman!"

"Rohan, be reasonable!"

"With all due respect Firelord," Rohan began, "you of all people should know about the horrors inflicted on the Air Nomads! Or do they not teach that in Fire Nation schools?!"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Kushina, remembering her plan from earlier, immediately spoke, hoping to diffuse a volatile situation. "Can't we get someone up there?"

Everyone, including President Kyodai looked at each other nervously for a moment. Kushina and Tong looked on at the group both worried that the nations didn't have a way to get up to space. Finally a woman wearing the clothes of the Southern Water Tribe looked on at the others.

"Who told you about our space warfare program?"

"Who told you about ours, Chief Tikanni?"

"The same that told you about ours I presume, Preisdent Bahl. Ours and the Firelord's."

"Did you really think you could hide something like that from me?"

"Wait," Tong interrupted. "So you all have programs designed to engage in space warfare?"

The previously silent President Kyodai answered, "We didn't plan on telling anyone."

"How can we trust any of you then?" Emperor Hiresh protested.

"So then," Tong concluded, ignoring the Emperor's complaints, "you have the tools to get an assault force into space."

"Yes we do," Kyodai answered.

"Then I want to lead it."

"You've been the Avatar for three days!" a man in Water Tribe clothing answered. "Why should we trust you?"

"And why should we even go ahead with such a plan?" Emperor Hiresh asked. "You're literally asking for the entire world to coordinate its plans in one counter-attack when we know Han can swat anything we send at him like a fly!"

"Not if you plan it out precisely," Kushina answered.

"Who is this? Some intern that got lost on the way in?"

Kushina was set to protest when a voice emerged from the Firelord's monitor.

"She is an engineer we hired. Quite intelligent as well."

"Mr. Dairou?"

"Kushina!" Dariou announced, smiling from his monitor. "I'm glad to see you're well. And as for you, Emperor, yes, this woman is quite intelligent in her understanding of aerospace engineering. Don't dismiss her outright just yet."

"If one of my advisors vouches for her," Kaede added, "then I will listen to what she has to say."

"Fine! Alright woman, what is your plan?"

"We would need to coordinate our launches," Kushina explained, "interrupting them with dummy launches that don't have payloads, but are being fired to draw off the Spirit Vine cannon. If we do it correctly, the actual forces can head into space while Han is busy shooting the dummies. Once in space, our forces need to engage theirs while a strike team boards the Star Flower and disables the Spirit Vine cannon. With that out of the way, Han will have no choice but to surrender."

"I will lend as many of my Air Nomads as possible," Rohan added. "If Han wants to declare war on the Air Nation, then we'll bring the fight right to his doorstep!"

The group remained silent, looking on at Kushina. Finally, Firelord Kaede spoke.

"It's the best chance we have of stopping this madman before he starts targeting cities and more civilians. Considering all the other alternatives involve our forces being shot down or catastrophic civilian casualties when that space station hurdlers towards the planet, then this is our best chance."

"You have my support as well," President Kyodai added.

"Han has already attacked the Water Tribes," Chief Tikanni noted. "We will support you in any way we can to stop that madman." Her northern counterpart nodded in agreement.

The only one who didn't speak was Emperor Hiresh, who looked on at the group incredulously.

"Are you all insane? Working with all of you in such a limited timeframe? If we're off by one second…"

"I've heard enough," Tong interrupted.

"Watch your mouth boy! You may be the Avatar, but as far as I'm concerned, you're just another brat who wants to use that title to throw their weight around!"

"Yes, like the fake Korra," Tong reasoned. "The one your predecessor all but handed the keys to the kingdom over to. The one I stopped and SAVED YOUR COUNTRY."

"You…"

"I'm not asking all of you to be friends," Tong continued. "You've all got a lot of disagreements and a lot of little issues, and that's fine. But at least you get to make those choices. If Han had his way, you would all be answering to a fake Avatar right now, one that took a good woman's name and dragged it through the mud to get what she wanted! And I get the title of 'Avatar' probably isn't that popular right now, but I plan to fix that. And that starts with going up there and stopping Han!"

"Why should you lead the mission then?" Hiresh asked. "You hid for decades!"

"Because as the Avatar, and I can't believe I'm saying that, I stand for more than what any nation wants. Once this is done, you don't have to hold hands or pretend to be best friends, but now, you need to do what's right for your people."

"Alright for a first speech," Rohan quipped. "You weren't mumbling." Tong smiled, looking at Hiresh, waiting for a response.

* * *

 _Control, this is Capital City. All launch points are coordinated._

Tong breathed heavily, doing his best to relax inside the cumbersome suit that he and the other soldiers on board had been given. His shuttle, launching from the United Republic, would soon join hopefully seven others, where they would travel to space for the final battle. The crash course in dealing with special travel likely was only going to scratch the surface of what he had to deal with out there, but he was prepared. He wouldn't panic.

"Kushina?" he went, looking at a radio next to his chair. "They gave you a mecha tank?"

" _Top of the line!"_ she boasted, the mecha tank in question resting in a specific compartment inside the massive craft. " _I'll try not to have too much fun out there!_

"Hey, leave some for us!"

Looking to his right, Tong saw Shing, Amit, and Tashi, along with at least a dozen United Republic soldiers, all strapped in and ready to go. True to his word, Rohan had rallied the Air Nomads to battle to save their people. Tong insisted that his friends travel with him, despite Emperor Hiresh's protests about the pacifism of the Air Nomads. Rohan reasoned that his men didn't have to kill to incapacitate their opponents, which meant they were even more effective than the average soldiers of the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Republic, a statement that both President Bahl and Emperor Hiresh vehemently disagreed with. Leena, meanwhile, had been recalled to the Fire Nation, where she would be taking off in one of their vessels, leading a Fire Nation commando unit onto the Star Flower.

 _Second decoy has been deployed! UR ship Blue Sky, prepare for launch!_

"This is it!" Tong shouted. "Everyone hold on!"

"We're with you Avatar!" a UR soldier shouted, to which his compatriots nodded in agreement.

 _Launch window reached! 3, 2, 1…_

"Then let's go save the world!"

 _LIFT OFF!_


	35. The Place Under the Shining Star

It looked so peaceful from the observation room. The planet, observed through a massive clear wall, seemed so quiet and quaint. Han had taken the liberty of modifying the room with a central throne that faced the observation window so he could see and survey the whole of his domain. And what he saw was a planet that looked peaceful, but deep within, was full of strife and conflict.

He would guide it to a peaceful future. No matter how many he had to kill.

There had still been no word from the other nations regarding his terms of surrender. It was definitely a lot for the world's leaders to take in, but he was patient. He knew that they had no alternative.

"From here it seems so minute," Han mused aloud to no one in particular, the observation echoing through the room. "So pathetic in the grand scheme of things. It may be a mote of dust, but it's MY mote of dust, and I will reign over it as king before the week is over."

He continued to look over his prize, thinking about what he would do when he had control of it. Eliminate government inefficiency, promote tolerance, kill every last Air Nomad and burn their temples and texts to ash; all long term projects but definitely doable. It would all happen soon.

 _SIR!_ Blared a voice through the speakers in the room. _Report to the bridge immediately!_

Jumping from his seat and running towards the central bridge, Han wondered what could have possibly required him so urgently. Once he arrived, he saw the reason on a monitor.

"We're detecting a launch from a field in the Si Wong desert! It appears to be a missile!"

"Then shoot it down!" Han ordered.

The sounds of machinery in the station moving could be heard as the spirit vine cannon adjusted its range to take out its target. Soon afterwards, cameras showed the beam from the cannon annihilating the errant rocket.

"Confirmed kill sir."

"With two more launches!" interrupted another officer.

"Two?"

"Make that three! No, four! No, five!"

"Shoot them down! All of them!" Han ordered!"

"We're not fast enough! Some are getting through!"

A dozen tiny blips appeared on the monitors, each representing a missile launch. Knowing the threat he gave, Han could only wonder the obvious.

"Why are they attacking when they know what damaging this station will do? That they can't hope to completely destroy it? What is their plan?"

* * *

 _Are you ready?_

"Korra?"

Looking in front of him, Tong saw the smiling face of Korra, the real Korra, looking back. She appeared to be standing…somehow, despite the fact that the shuttle had been moved vertically so it could launch.

"You know, I've never seen outer space. I just…wanted to get a good look."

"I'm not going there for the view," Tong answered, causing Korra to laugh.

"Doesn't mean you can't enjoy it."

"I think I'll enjoy it more on the way back," Tong answered. He then added, "By the way, you might want to buckle up."

"Buckle? Why wAHHHHHH!"

 _LIFTOFF!_

Everyone on the shuttle gritted their teeth as the velocity of the rocket flung them forward, detaching and letting the ship rise into space on its own power. Everyone except Korra, who bounced around like a ping pong ball from wall to wall, screaming all the while. The sky ahead of them turned from blue to black as they ascended, the stars twinkling in the sky, millions of twinkling lights that illuminated their path.

"Let's not do that again," Shing gasped, breathing heavily as the shuttle went to a vertical axis.

"It wasn't so bad," Amit protested. "Just…fast. Right Tashi? Tashi?"

Looking over, Tashi appeared to be breathing heavily, her eyes closed until Amit tapped her on the shoulder. Looking outside, she saw it all, and was awestruck. Viewing the outside of the shuttle, after rubbing her head, Korra had an equally awestruck reaction.

"It's beautiful."

Tong was stunned silent as he looked out the window, seeing the planet. If the experiences of the past few weeks hadn't convinced him just how petty his quest for vengeance seemed in comparison to the responsibility of protecting the world, then seeing the entire world in front of him, every nation, every landmass, spelled it out in a way that a lecture never could. His hand reached for his head, only for the glass helmet to block it.

"What am I doing?"

Korra's hand reached for Tong's shoulder, the woman smiling.

"You were all ready to go before. Don't wuss out on me now."

"I...no. It's just so humbling. It's awe inspiring."

"You'll be fine. Just keep focused."

With those words, Korra left again, leaving the group to focus on the task at hand. Outside, other shuttles joined the main force, mecha tanks detaching from each. In total, there appeared to be only 30 mecha tanks outside, spilt between the nations and the United Republic. They all appeared to be heavily modified from their land based counterparts, jet engines all over the units to allow them to move through the weightless void of space. Over the monitor, a voice spoke.

 _This is Commander Zuko II of the United Republic forces. The UR is taking point on this operation, as discussed with our initial planning. I need all squadrons to report in._

 _United Republic Squadron reporting in_ , reported the familiar voice of Kushina as her unit moved ahead of the shuttlecraft. The dark blue mecha tanks shone oddly in the light from the shuttles. _These Star Barons move way faster than anything I've seen on the ground._

 _Don't get too giddy pilot,_ Zuko shot back. _Keep in mind that EVERYTHING we know about space warfare at this point is theoretical! Be prepared to adjust for anything!_

 _Yes sir._

A third voice soon interrupted the conversation. _Fire Nation squadron reporting in._

 _Earth Kingdom squadron reporting in._

 _Earth Republic squadron reporting in._

 _Water Tribe squadron reporting in._

 _Allied squadrons, prepare to move in. Your primary objective is to clear entrance for the shuttles with our commando teams. Once there, you have two objectives – Disable the Spirit Vine Cannon, and capture or kill Grand Lotus Han. Meanwhile our squadrons need to disable any sensory equipment so they cannot fire their primary weapon. We know Han will start attacking major cities the second he has a clear shot._

 _Here comes the crossfire!_ Shouted a voice from the Water Tribe squadron. Sure enough, beams of light flashed through space attempting to strike their targets, but without a single sound accompanying them. The pilot of the shuttle was rather blunt about what was going to happen next.

"EVERYONE HOLD ON TIGHT! WE'RE GOING IN!"

* * *

"It was a diversion. They didn't plan to destroy this space station, they want to capture it with an assault force."

The space station shook from cannon fire as the units raced around, the legion of modified Skull Knights defending the Star Flower racing to attack their enemies.

"Scanning probes for the spirit vine cannon are down! It's going to take a bit before we can properly aim at planetary targets!"

"Orders, Grand Lotus?"

"Have our mecha tanks form a defensive perimeter. All soldiers should head for the loading bays and prepare to repel boarders. We cannot let the spirit cannon be compromised."

"And you Grand Lotus?"

"I'm going to the observation deck."

"Sir?"

"They've come for me, and I intend to fight them somewhere where equipment will not be damaged. Besides, I suspect the Avatar himself is on one of those shuttles, and I have no doubt he wants to face me. Our battle is inevitable, and I'd rather sensitive equipment not be damaged when it occurs."

"Of course Grand Lotus."

* * *

The lights of cannon fire and explosions lit up the black void of space, but no sound accompanied the firing. From her position, Kushina saw the enemy units race towards her, coming in from all angles, above, below, and both sides. Any amount of test pilot work she had done in those underwater tanks seemed pitifully insufficient to prepare her for this.

"Stay together!"

 _Easy for you to AAAARGH!_

The bright light of a destroyed Earth Republic mecha signaled that the battle was already starting. The units raced through the battlefield in an attempt to corral their opponents, keeping them from the shuttles advancing on the Star Flower itself.

One errant mecha tank flew through space, pursuing the Fire Nation shuttle, only to fall victim to an attack from above and below, while another enemy mecha tank was shot down by three pursuers. Not to be outdone, an Earth Republic mecha took a blast from cannons on the side of the Star Flower, exploding into a fiery heap of metal.

 _Why did no one object to the space station being armed with cannons?_

 _White Lotus hid them, duh! Stay focused!_

The shuttles zoomed in closer to the entrance; dodging cannon fire as quickly as they could. Noticing the increasing barrage, one of the United Republic's Star Baron's zoomed off from the squadron, heading towards the shuttle.

 _Take over the battle at the perimeter! I'm going to cover those shuttles!_

 _Understood Kushina. Don't let them get scratched!_

The mecha raced ahead of the shuttles, firing at the cannons and then backing out too quickly for them to get a clear lock on her. After the sixth cannon explosion, a narrow route was cleared for the shuttles to enter the stronghold.

"This is UR 2. Shuttles are go for landing…wha?"

 _ABOVE YOU!_

A dark purple mecha tank belonging to Han's forces zoomed in from above Kushina, its cannon fire ripping off the right leg of her machine and sending her bouncing to and fro inside the cockpit. Her opponent moved in for the kill, the damaged machine too slow to run off.

At the last second however, Shocker fire from three other units drove off the errant machine, damaging but not destroying it as the enemy flew off. Two of the machines, modified Sun Fang's from Kushina's perspective, moved next to her.

"Thanks for the assist, but this thing isn't much good in a dogfight."

 _Not bad for an engineer. Go and retreat back to the defensive line._

"No way!" Kushina shouted. "I'm going to go board the Star Flower with the others. At least there I can be of some use."

 _Fine. Just be careful._

The group of mecha split off, the Fire Nation units returning to the fight while Kushina's Star Baron raced as best it could to catch up with the shuttles.

With the cannon fire cleared out of the way, the shuttles of the various nations began to enter the dock of the Star Flower. The first thing all the passengers realized was that the dock itself was quite large, able to hold all six of the shuttles with relative ease.

The second thing they realized is that they weren't alone, Shocker fire rattling the shuttles as soon as they landed. Two Earth benders on the Earth Kingdom shuttle attempted to raise the ground to defend the shuttles, but it was to no avail.

"What gives?" One of his compatriots, a non-bender holding a rifle, responded by pushing a weapon into the metal bender's hands.

"The whole space station is treated with anti-metal bending chemicals! Your bending is useless!"

"Then what do we do?" he asked, looking at the rifle.

"You were taught how to use that in basic training, right? Time to dust off those lessons! Besides," the man added as he opened the door, laying down covering fire for the group, "there might be some boxes and the like you can bend. Just don't expect to manipulate the ground!" Looking around, the man noticed a small group of men and women with the tattoos of the Air Nomads on them as well.

"You guys need weapons too?"

"We'll be fine," one of the Nomads responded. "Trust us."

The other groups of benders and their escorts leapt out of the shuttles, opening fire on the group of defenders by the door as they continued to look for an opening. Luckily, the other elements weren't impeded the way, flame, wind, and water from sacs being exchanged by both sides. Soon they had reached a stalemate with White Lotus' forces guarding the door, unable to progress forward.

"This is no good!" Tashi exclaimed, looking on at her compatriots from the Northern temple.

"Agreed! Let's try the ball bounce maneuver!"

Rising out of cover, the Air Nomads began moving the thin air in the hangar. While it was unable to send them into the wall as fast as they wanted, it did raise them into plain view. Immediately, a group of water benders took advantage, water whips smacking the enemies to the ground unconscious but alive.

"Glad you guys came," a Water Tribe soldier replied. The celebration was short lived as a pair of soldiers wielding rockets moved in, aiming for the shuttles.

"That's our ride!" a soldier gasped, realizing they would have no way back if they blew up the shuttles.

 _ **EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE WAY!**_

The noise went through the communicators of the units as a one-legged Star Baron began firing at the group of errant soldiers, annihilating them as it careened into the hangar, luckily missing the shuttles. From the wrecked machine emerged Kushina, who smiled at the group.

"What did I miss?"

"You OK?" Shing asked.

"Yeah, but my ride will never be the same."

The Fire Nation soldiers emerged from cover, looking on at the group and the destroyed machine. Tong and Shing recognized the tall woman serving as their leader immediately.

"Well boys, we know what we're looking for. Let's get inside!"

* * *

Panic spread throughout the interior of the Star Flower as the group of invaders began moving towards the center of the station. While the air and gravity had returned to relatively normal levels, the danger had only increased the deeper they went into the space station. The further they went, the more they encountered resistance, with members of each nation choosing to stay and deal with the resistance while allowing the rest of the group to look for another way in. This pattern occupied both the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom troops, while the remaining forces moved forward, until they found a single man, clad in heavy silver armor with what appeared to be two cannons on his shoulders and a helmet with a clear visor. He grimaced at the men and women in front of him.

"He was right. You are here Avatar Tong!"

"Do I know you?" Tong asked. The man nodded.

"My name is Tsu Gan-Lan, and this battle has been fated for generations!"

"What are you babbling about?"

"The Avatar has caused my bloodline nothing but grief for generations! Ever since Avatar Aang destroyed my great-great grandfather's cabbage stand. Since Avatar Korra's actions drove my grandfather out of business! The battle between my clan and the Avatar ends here."

"Is this guy serious?" a soldier asked, moving forward, only for the armor clad man to reach for two triggers next to his hands.

"Don't move! I'm going to blast the walls of this space station wide open! When that happens, the entire hallway will de-pressurize, and send us all into the icy void of space. You can guess what happens next."

"I don't know you!" Tong shouted.

"I do!" Kushina shouted. "You were all angry I took your guns!"

"Well it ends here! Die Ava…"

 **THUNK**.

A forceful jolt of air rocked Tsu to the wall and knocked him out before he could carry out his threat. Looking on at the group, Tashi could only respond with a confused "What?" Amit snickered.

"Nice going."

"Look out!"

The group all moved to one side as a lone figure, moving like a blur, disarmed two of the Fire Nation soldiers and struck an Air Nomad multiple times, causing him to convulse, unable to move. The woman moved forward to attack again, only for Kushina to move in on the blur and deflect her blows with chi blocking strikes of her own.

"Go! I'll handle this one!"

"Pretty bold little girl," the woman scoffed, her fiery red hair flowing behind her. "But it won't save you!"

As the group ran off, the red haired woman attempted to strike Kushina, only for her to block and counter perfectly. Unfortunately, the woman was also able to block and counter Kushina's strikes with equal accuracy. Breaking away, the two stood several steps away from each other. Both women smirked.

"Chun style chi-blocking?" the red headed woman asked. Kushina nodded.

"Am I supposed to know you?"

"No," the woman answered, "but it's always fun to test my style against other ones. Especially when I know mine is superior."

"Arrogant," Kushina answered, only to face a hail of fists and feet from the redheaded woman.

"It's not arrogance if you can back it up!"

Kushina saw a brief opening, throwing a kick toward's the woman's head, but it was immediately blocked, the woman smirking all the while.

"Flexible. But not too smart."

Tossing the leg aside, Kushina fell to the ground, moving quickly so as not to get hit while she was down. She stumbled slightly, but saw an opening, landing a straight punch to her opponent's torso, causing her to fall back a foot. Grimacing slightly, the redhead still offered a smile at her opponent.

"This is going to be fun."

* * *

Deeper and deeper into the fortress the group moved, the resistance they faced growing heavier as they continued their journey. The group soon found themselves by a room labeled "Observation Deck." Tong stared at it, clicking a button on a nearby panel that caused it to open.

"Tong!" Shing shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Someone's in here." The group went to follow, but the door soon closed behind Tong, with a second steel door falling into place in front of the standard one. Tong looked on, banging on the door, unsure of what kind of trap was set.

"Go on ahead!" he shouted. "I'll catch up!"

 _It's beautiful, isn't it?_

Turning around, Tong saw what the voice was referring to. The clear window was in place of an entire wall, offering an unobstructed view of the entire planet. By it, standing in front of a golden throne, stood the man he was looking for, the man in a blue and white military uniform, his black cape flowing behind him as he rubbed his mustache slightly.

"Han."

"Grand Lotus Han to you, Avatar Tong," Han replied. "We meet at last."

"It's over Han!" Tong shouted. "You're coming with me to face judgment for your crimes!"

"Is it?" Han asked, looking out at the observation window. "It was all figured out. Korra would unite the world in eternal balance. One nation, one people, no more wars, no more strife, no more want. Everything would be fixed. And then you had to make an appearance and ruin it!" With an accusatory tone, he pointed at Tong and yelled "You killed my fiancé!"

"And your organization killed my father," Tong shot back. "White Lotus ordered him killed, along with countless others. Jinora, Meelo, Bolin, Opal…"

"Don't…mention the name 'Opal' around me," Han grimaced, turning back to the window. "You've seen the world. Heard about the wars. Seen the way people limit true genius, especially the Air Nomads. I can fix it! This is my last chance to fix it all! Join me Avatar," Han began, extending his hand to Tong, "and together we can rule the world! You can have everything you want, money, power, women, and no longer do you need to hide yourself from others. You can rule over these simpletons and we can fix everything!"

Han extended his hand to Tong, who slapped it to one side, grimacing and causing Han to descend into a fighting stance, causing Tong to match it in kind.

"You really think this is what Korra would want. You think this is what I would want. Hell, you think this is what any Avatar would want?"

"You can't see my genius!" Han exclaimed. "And if you won't see it, then I'll smear this space station with your blood!" Tong however, appeared unimpressed by the threat.

"This is how it works with people like you, isn't it?" Tong asked. "You're the genius but the second anyone disagrees, you automatically descend into violence. You really think someone like you could run the entire world without it collapsing in on itself?"

"Accusations from a simple minded man who just wants vengeance without seeing the big picture!" Han shot back.

Tong shook his head. "I have seen the big picture. It takes a lot more than wanting revenge to fix the world, and it's going to take a lot more than murder to rule it!"

"You're right about one of those," Han answered. "But not even the mighty Avatar can defeat my genius!"

"This ends today Han!" Tong exclaimed as he moved forward to attack. "One way or another, THIS ENDS TODAY!"


	36. Spectres

The cannon fire emanating from the space station was relentless. The blind spot forcibly created to allow the shuttlecraft entry onto the Star Flower offered some protection, but it seemed that anything further would be impossible due to the sheer volume of cannon fire.

 _Squadrons, report! Is the primary target down?_

"Negative Commander Zuko," answered a Fire Nation pilot. "Cannon fire around the primary target is too heavy for our units to get close to. We were able to knock out their scanners in the initial barrage, but we cannot get closer to that area.

 _What about the remaining enemies?_

"Enemy units have switched targets. They're going after the shuttles relentlessly since the assault team boarded. I think they're trying to strand us up here!"

 _Sir, another attack!_

Interrupting the conversation was about five enemy mecha tanks, soaring through space towards the allied squadrons. As predicted, their primary target was the shuttle bay. The allied squadrons quickly began firing, hoping to keep them from coming in close.

 _Two from above!_

"I got 'em!"

The Fire Nation squadron soared towards the targets attempting to zoom in from below, dancing between the cannon fire from the space station itself and the fire from the enemy mecha, zooming in close to take their own shots. One was clipped and flew off while the other chose to zoom in, drawing a wrist mounted energy blade. Before it could engage the units up close, crossfire from the Earth Kingdom squadron attacked the enemy machine, blasting away until it was destroyed.

"They're only pecking at our defenses. I'm expecting a full-scale assault soon."

 _How about now?_ Shouted another pilot. Sure enough, eighteen enemy mecha tanks began flying towards the defensive position the united forces had taken up. With enemy fire coming from both the station itself and the enemy squadron, maneuvering space instantly became a premium. A Water Tribe pilot found that out the hard way as it moved too far from the safe zone in an attempt to avoid the enemy mecha, the Star Flower's cannons destroying it. The other mecha tanks were forced to scatter, engaging the enemy unit-to-unit.

"Tell the assault team to hurry up! We'll do our best to reduce the enemy's numbers!"

* * *

"How goes the battle Commander Zuko?"

The fair skinned, golden-eyed officer looked at the old Air Nomad master and offered a huff. "I don't like it when people look over my shoulder. Bad enough that every single world leader is looking in on this."

"Those are my men up there. You must understand that I'm worried."

"I didn't like the idea of sending in people that won't kill up to fight, but the Firelord of all people vouched for you. So be grateful."

Rohan offered a smile. "Your mother is wise. Trust me, your men are better off."

Ignoring the comment about his mother, Zuko II instead focused on the initial question. "The assault force has boarded the Star Flower. At this point, it's all up to them."

"Have faith in my men," a voice added, not Rohan's, but that of Emperor Hiresh, who was also looking on at the feed from a conference room in Ba Sing Se. The other world leaders, all watching from their own headquarters, nodded in agreement.

"I do," Zuko answered. "That's why I don't like it when people are looking over my shoulder."

* * *

"Well then. 'Avatar', if you will not be my champion, then I will parade you before the world as an example of what happens to those who oppose me!"

With that threat, Han's left hand began moving inhumanly quick, firing off razor winds all the while. He would carve the Avatar to shreds. Not even he could withstand such an assault.

Tong however, was undeterred. He began moving his own left hand forward in concert with Han's strikes, air gusts neutralizing the razor winds as he moved forward. In a few moments, he reached out to grab Han's hand, holding it tightly in his left arm. Han appeared shocked.

"What? How?"

Tong began to lift up the arm, preventing it from moving, as he looked on at his opponent. He grimaced, drawing his arm back.

"Because I'm not just fighting for myself!"

A powerful right hand sent Han staggering, even as Tong's grip on his arm stayed firm. "I've hated the people who forced me into hiding for years, and I've seen first-hand just what you've done to others. I won't let you get away with it!"

Rising to his feet, Han swiped at Tong with his free hand, causing him to let go as he flipped backwards, landing on his feet. A claw mark emerged on Tong's chest, along with a slight trickle of blood. Tong winced from the pain, but didn't fall.

"Your self-righteous attitude is infuriating. Do you really think you can defeat me? Your power and skill is nothing compared to Tìdāo Fēng Quán!"

Tong said nothing, but reached for the cut, a trickle of blood flowing on his finger. He licked it slightly, but then spat it out, before re-assuming his fighting stance, bouncing slightly on his feet as if in a rhythm. Han looked on, indignant.

"Boy!" Han yelled, moving towards Tong, his hand constantly shooting razor winds all the while. "No one can survive a blow from me!" Like before, Tong chose to respond with gusts of his own to neutralize the razor winds, until he got close enough to land a hard kick to Han's leg. Wincing, Han leapt back to create an angle, moving in with a powerful slash of his arms. Tong threw his arms up to block, leaving cuts on his arms, but also Han's face vulnerable. Taking advantage of the brief opening, he stepped in, landing a one-two combination to the head that caused the Grand Lotus to stumble back, disoriented.

Undeterred, Han flipped backwards, his feet landing on the wall as he propelled himself forward. His arms were ready to claw Tong's eyes out, his expression confident.

"Just another Air Bender to kill!"

However, his confidence soon vanished as a plume of flame launched towards Han, causing him to stumble and dodge the flame, only singing his uniform as he took a knee. Tong however, wasted no time taking advantage of this distraction; leaping forward and landing a hard knee strike on his grounded opponent.

Sent into the wall by the observation window, Han raised his hands, standing to his feet. The high ceiling of the room would allow him to perform his next move.

"I wasn't expecting that," Han relented. "Then again, you are the Avatar, after all, aren't you? Don't you like to parade that title around to get what you want?"

Not letting his guard down for a moment, Tong answered, "Believe what you want."

"Fine then!" Han shouted. "Then I choose to believe that you're nothing compared to me! That's what I believe, false Avatar!"

Leaping into the air, his arms drawn back in preparation to strike, Han dived-bombed towards Tong, laughing maniacally.

"The ultimate technique of Tìdāo Fēng Quán! Yīng de Zhǎo!"

Tong looked on at the hands drawn back to strike. It was then he realized what was happening.

"He's going to attack the sides of my head. The lunge is a feint."

Tong had seconds to act. Wasting no time, his hand opened, a fireball forming inside of it. He had to be calm and completely accurate for this to work. Had he been asked to do this a month ago, he wasn't sure he could. But now, he knew he could do it.

Rising into the air with a powerful leap, Tong's hand struck Han in the chest before he could strike. From the hand emerged flames that soon encompassed the entirety of Han's body, causing him to scream in agony and fall to the ground, gusts of wind from his Airbending being used to smother the flames as best they could. Tong looked on at his fallen opponent.

"It's over."

 **SLASH!**

A powerful kick from Han argued otherwise, leaving a cut on Tong's cheek as his opponent rose, wearing slight burns over his face and body. His uniform seemed to have taken the brunt of the damage, fallen to dust before him. Now he stood in front of Tong, wearing nothing but burnt pants that appeared like shorts and no shirt, his fairly impressive musculature on display. Most telling of all for Han however, was that his mustache was also burned, all but gone.

"You think this is over?!" Han yelled. "I've come too far to stop now! Nothing will stop the Realignment! I will rule the world! And you, are an outdated annoyance!"

Rubbing his cheek, wiping the blood from it, Tong turned back to Han, raising his hands. "You can't win. Give up now, before it gets worse."

"Don't be so sure, boy. You haven't seen the full scale of my power!"

* * *

Blows continued to be exchanged between Kushina and her red haired opponent, the engineer realizing that the mysterious woman's blows were slightly faster and slightly more accurate. It was far from one-sided, but it was becoming increasingly clear that this woman's years of military training gave her a distinct edge, the thought punctuated by a beautiful three strike combination where Kushina blocked the two blows towards her head, only to be knocked to the ground by a push kick on an undefended torso.

"Oh, is that it? Here I thought the daughter of Tae Chun would be better at fighting than this!"

It was obvious to Kushina that something needed to change here soon or she was going to lose. Luckily for her, an edge just happened to appear.

Groggily getting to his feet, the armored man from before looked on at the two women fighting, unsure of what had just happened. His cracked helmet lay at the man's feet as he attempted to stand.

"Where is he?"

It was then Kushina saw her opening, running behind the man and holding him even as her opponent ran forward. Before he could get his bearings on the situation, the blow meant for Kushina struck him in the face, causing the woman to grimace and continue to attack.

"Stand still!"

"It's not my fault he's in the way!"

"OW! OW!"

Consciousness soon left the armored man as he absorbed the blows of the red-haired woman. Finally, Kushina saw an opening, tossing the man to the side and landing a hard punch to the head, a kick to the legs, and numerous stabbing strikes to the torso of her opponent. The blows sent her staggering backwards.

"How did…"

The woman looked up, only to see Kushina holding the unconscious man, or rather, the trigger on his weapon as the man was leaned up against the wall.

"Smile."

"WAIT!"

The woman ducked out of the way as Kushina pressed the trigger, annihilating a wall and several feet of floor, leaving the wall to the room and even part of the floor destroyed. The red haired woman was furious.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" she yelled. "That weapon was designed to fight heavy armor! If you blast open the walls of the Star Flower, we'll both die!"

Kushina nodded as the woman went into the room, looking on as the armor wearing man woke up.

 **THUNK!**

A sharp blow soon sent him back into unconsciousness as Kushina moved into the room, where her opponent was waiting, looking on at what had been revealed. Her curiosity soon turned into complete confusion.

"What is all of this?"

Inside the room were dozens of human sized tubes. But even more alarming was what was in the tubes. The tubes, filled with liquid, all had the bodies of human females inside of them. Bodies with the exact same face.

"Korra?"

"Korras is more accurate," the red haired woman answered. "This is the new army, a fact that your friends are probably figuring out for themselves right now."

* * *

"The control room is just ahead! Keep pushing forward!"

The remaining members of the assault force had finally found the central control room. From there, theoretically, it would be possible to shut down the Spirit Vine cannon and render the space station harmless.

The barrage of flames and icicles heading towards them however seemed to disagree with that goal, making it very difficult for them to get close to the entrance.

"Great!" Leena muttered as she looked on at the enemy troops having taken up position. "They've set up a defensive blockade!"

"Which one?" Shing asked, looking at the line of women defending the entrance. Or rather, the same woman just copied two dozen times. Each one was wearing one of four shirts, red, green, blue, and white, presumably to identify which element they could bend.

"Korra?!" Tashi yelled.

"Why doesn't she just stay down?" Amit asked. "Where are they all coming from?"

Rather than answer, the blue shirt clad Korras went to work immediately, creating a wall of ice that separated the team from the control room. Leena scoffed, moving forward with two other fire benders.

"Like that's gonna stop us."

Flames began to melt the ice wall, everyone's weapons at the ready for the inevitable assault. As it turned out, they didn't even need to wait for the ice wall to melt, as three metal cables ensnared each fire bender by the neck, dragging them through the melted ice.

"Leena!"

Shing saw the woman being ensnared and wasted no time charging forward, leaping towards the metal cable wielding Korra clones. As he did so, he hit the first clone with a powerful kick while turning to the second, grabbing her arm and tossing her into a wall. Skillfully, he began to dodge flame and metal cable strikes as he continued to attack the clones like a maelstrom, while the others looked on.

"What are you waiting for?" Amit yelled. "Shoot them!"

"They keep moving!" a soldier yelled. "We might hit your friend or the Lieutenant Commander!"

Amit sighed, and then turned to the other Air Nomads. "Come on!"

The remaining Air Nomads leapt into action, attacking the Korra clones with a renewed fury that took them completely by surprise. The other soldiers could only look on, it now being outright impossible to attack the clones without shooting their allies. Amit at the least understood this.

"We'll hold them off! Get to the control room!"

As the Korras moved in to attack their new foes, Leena removed the cable from her neck, looking on at the woman who attempted to strangle her. Wearing a green shirt, this Korra wore two metal bending gauntlets akin to the metal bending police of Republic City, the cables extending like whips. She smiled, taking a fighting stance.

"I've wanted a piece of you for a while now. Lucky me there's enough to go around."

* * *

"So your plan," Kushina began, "is to make an army of clones."

"A literal Avatar Army, yes," the red haired woman replied. "Once the world's surrendered to us, we're going to have a literal 'Avatar Army' enforce our rule on the planet below."

"And I'm sure," Kushina replied, "that everyone is going to welcome you with open arms after a stunt like that."

"Why do you care?"

"Why do you?" Kushina asked. "I don't even know your name."

"My name?" the woman asked, scoffing at the request. "You really want to know the name of who's going to kill you?"

"Be nice," Kushina answered, inching towards the tubes all the while.

"My name is Ayumu, Miss Kushina. As for why I care, my family has been members of Red Lotus ever since the schism. It's sort of a 'family business."

"Wait, 'Red' Lotus?"

Ayumu shook her head. "I guess that name doesn't mean a lot to people nowadays. I understand though. Point is, I've been with this society my whole life, and I believe in their vision. Which is why it's a shame when people like you get in the way."

"So you're just doing this because your dad told you to," Kushina asked.

"That's enough stalling from you," the woman answered, re-assuming her fighting stance. "You've seen what we've got planned, so there's no way I can let you live."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Looking on her opponent, Kushina reached for one of her pistols, which caused Ayumu to laugh.

"You've given up already? I know you can't beat me in hand-to-hand combat, but really, a pistol?" Gritting her teeth slightly, she asked, "Do you really think you can hit me with that?" Kushina shook her head.

"You, I'm going to beat up with my bare hands. This," she continued, pointing the Shocker right at the tubes, "is for them."

* * *

Rising to his feet, Han didn't move forward towards Tong again. Instead, he went to a nearby console by a wall and pressed a button.

"Here's my power! The power to command!"

As the door opened, a metal bending cable wrapped itself around Tong, pulling him towards four women. The four were relentless, beating him and then tying him up while his arms were bound, before holding his head as Tong looked on, bruised heavily.

"More Korra clones?"

"The new army," Han chuckled, kissing the clone dressed in a red shirt. Tong grimaced.

"You're sick."

"I am the ruler of the world," Han answered, his formerly furious voice now returning to its calm, somewhat haughty tone now that he appeared to be in control of the situation. "And here, I can make my own army. An elite force loyal to me, which no nation can stand against."

"Wearing the face of the woman who you keep trying to drag through the mud."

"I love Korra!"

"LOVE?!" Tong screamed, looking for an opening all the while. "You know what you love? A DOLL! These aren't Korra! Neither was the first copy I fought! They're dolls, being used to play the role you want, so YOU can have your happily-ever-after! You never cared about the real Korra! The real Korra died because of White Lotus and you were all too happy to trick people!"

"But I do love Korra! We were to be married!" Han shot back. "It's not like you know what love is!"

"No, you wanted to marry a clone devoid of free will like these robots over here," Tong answered. The whole time, he began to focus on the cables holding him. Slowly but surely, so as not to give away his cover, he began to loosen the cables, allowing himself to be freed.

"Silence!" Han shouted, slapping Tong across the face. This was good. He was distracted. Angry. This could be used to his advantage. Absorbing the blow, Tong continued.

"Korra loved Asami Sato."

 **SLAP!**

"I said silence!"

"Korra loved Asami Sato! You know! Future Industries and Tomorrow Technologies? That Asami Sato? They were in love! They didn't get married because of your idiot predecessors! Hell, once they were in the Spirit World, they tied the knot faster than you can say 'wedding cake', Grand Jackass!"

"One more outburst," Han warned, "and I slit your throat! I'm only letting you live so you can see my conquest!"

"Korra didn't love you! Korra didn't love you!" Tong continued over and over in a sing-song voice, taunting the Grand Lotus.

"That's it!" Han shouted, raising his hand to strike Tong down. "You are an ignorant fool!"

"And you," Tong answered, moving his arms, freeing them from the loosened cable, "ARE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!"

Turning to the clone that attempted to bind him, Tong wrapped the cable around the clone that attempted to bind him, strangling her with it.

"How many times do idiots like you make the same mistakes?!" Tong shouted, even as the clone fell over limp. "Chin, Ozai, Kuvira, now you! When are you going to realize that trying to run over everything with a bulldozer won't result in a peaceful or a permanent anything!"

The remaining three clones looked on as the green-shirted Korra copy fell to the ground, unconscious. All three assumed fighting stances alongside Han.

"You can't win, you know that," Han boasted. "It's four-on-one."

"You said it yourself," Tong shot back, assuming his own fighting stance. "I'm the Avatar, and they're not. Deal with it."

* * *

"We've regained sensory information!"

"Good! Arm the cannon! Target Republic City! We're going to turn it into a smoldering crater!"

* * *

"Commander Zuko!"

 _What is it?_

"The Star Flower! It's moving! They're preparing to fire their primary weapon!"

 _What are you waiting for?! Do something!_

The cannon fire continued its relentless assault even as the mecha tank legion began to chip away at the enemy's numbers. But the sheer amount of firepower from the cannons would make short work of any assault force if they weren't careful. Reluctantly, the pilot began charging his machine towards the space fortress.

"All units! We need to give the assault force more time! We don't need to disable the cannon itself, just knock out its ranging data and blind them! The targets are near the bottom!"

 _Yatte Yaruze!_

Moving through the incredible amount of cannon fire, the pilot breathed heavily, his Star Baron dancing through the cannon fire. If only that assault force would just hurry up!


	37. The Blooming Flower

Han looked on at the clones and Tong, now prepared to battle to the death. Instead of attacking himself, he stepped back, while the trio of clones stepped forward to attack. Tong answered in kind, leaping forward with a spinning kick surrounded by a trail of flame. The fire rushed forward, causing all three of the clones to scatter and attack from different sides.

The first clone, using airbending, kept her distance and fired gusts of wind, which rattled the walls but thankfully weren't able to break the reinforced glass of the window. Tong danced between each gust, shooting fireballs as he did so until he got close enough to the clone. A powerful four strike combination soon followed, the jab and cross driving her back, the hook snapping her neck, and the flaming kick to the head knocking her down and causing her to collapse into a heap.

"These clones weren't as well trained," Tong taunted, only for the waterbender clone to launch water from a sac by her waist that hit his feet. Quickly, the water turned to ice, freezing his feet to the floor. Unable to move his legs, Tong saw the second clone create a dagger of ice and charge forward, ready to run him through. He looked at his arm, and did the only thing he could do before she reached him.

 **BLAM! BLAM!**

Smoke emanated from his gauntlet as the second Korra fell to the ground. The third however, wasted no time attacking, landing a hard kick to Tong's head that caused him to stagger backwards, unable to fall due to his feet being placed in the ground. Barely dodging a fireball by bobbing and weaving, Tong tried to punch the ice shackle, only for the clone to grab his head and deliver a powerful knee for his trouble. He reeled, but still couldn't fall. The other clone moved in for the kill, when Tong saw the fallen sac of water.

 **WHAM!**

A powerful blow of water, careening like a comet towards the firebender clone, sent her back, allowing Tong to shatter the shackles of ice that held him in place. Wasting no time, he tackled the clone to the ground, following immediately with several strikes to the head. The raining blows continued until she was no longer able to move. He rose and turned to Han.

When he did so, he screamed in agony. It felt as if razor blades went across his entire body, slicing his skin and opening cuts on his arms and torso. Falling to one knee, he grimaced.

"The only ones who do not fear you, Avatar, are those who have not heard of your power. And I, the one who can equal it. My true razor wind slices your skin apart like a cantaloupe. Not even you can stand against it."

Tong's fists clenched, even as he remained kneeling.

"What, no witty comeback? No demand for justice? I must admit I'm surprised how quickly you defeated those clones, even if they lacked the experience of the real Korra. Perhaps I'm going about this wrong. Perhaps I need to clone you. Yes, kill every one of your friends here, and you can watch as you're replaced. Watch as everyone you care about is killed by someone wearing your face. I think I'll make that girl I've seen you with your first victim."

Again Tong said nothing, but he rose to his feet, his teeth clenched.

"You still think you can win?" Han asked. "You think you can defeat my genius with force of will alone? You only have regular airbending, not Tìdāo Fēng Quán."

Tong looked on at his opponent with a deep stare, his grimace worn fully on the Avatar's face.

"My will…cannot die. Not by…your hand."

* * *

An absolute brawl had broken out between the Air Nomads, the firebenders, and the various Korra clones, each of which seemed capable of bending their own element. People were smashed into the walls, others were choked unconscious, and others were shoved out of the way just to get a strike in on the opposing force. The clones attacked savagely, but said nothing other than the occasional grunt or groan.

Leena wasted no time with her offensive, attacking the green shirt clad Korra before she could use her metal bending cables to attack. Instead, she was forced to use the cables to deflect the fireballs heading towards her, constantly being forced back. This proved to be her undoing when a pair of fireballs broke through, burning the clone and allowing Leena to move in for the killing blow, a three strike combination that ended with a pillar of flame that burned the clone. But she had little time to admire her work.

A powerful blow soon hit Leena in the back, sending her crashing to the ground. Above her, a clone wielding water tentacles on both her arms loomed over, ready to strike.

"HA!"

A leaping kick cracked the clone across the head while a gust of wind knocked her down. As she stood up, Leena found herself back-to-back with Shing, surrounded by the legion of clones.

"We're so close!" Shing yelled, even as he continued to fire wind gusts at the advancing forces. "But there's just no end to them!"

Firing at the advancing clones, Leena had a similar assessment. "We're pinned down!"

"Look," Shing began, knocking an advancing clone aside before kicking another, "if we don't make it through this, I just want to say…"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Leena shouted. "We're getting out of here, we're going back to the Fire Nation, and I am damn sure getting a two-rank promotion!"

A Korra clone lunged towards the pair, but a tattooed Air Nomad kicked her out of midair, landing by the pair's side.

"We're all pinned down! Do you have a plan!"

Looking on for a second, Leena asked, "Can Air Nomads kill clones?"

"What? You want me to kill?"

"Not humans!" Leena shouted even as she caught a strike from a clone and threw her with an arm toss, knocking her down. "They're pretty much robots! They don't think! They just attack!"

"Robots we can make a rare exception for!" the monk answered, "since we're not killing a living being!"

"Then I've got an idea," she began, looking on at the firebenders engaged with the clones. "Men, form up!"

* * *

"Put the gun down!"

"You're perfectly safe Ayumu," Kushina began, aiming her Shocker directly at one of the tubes. "It's these things that I have an issue with."

"If you move one step…"

"Like this?"

A lone bolt went through one of the tubes, shattering it and hitting the body dead center as liquid seeped from the tube. Ayumu appeared livid.

"Stop it!"

"Or?" Kushina asked.

 **BANG!**

"Whoops," she taunted, looking on at another hole created by her weapon. It was obvious to both of them that Kushina was goading Ayumu to attack, waiting for her to charge forward. So far, she hadn't taken the bait, but the look of frustration was clear as day on her face.

"Is this all for your parents? Come on. We could both just walk away, and you can escape this little space fortress before everyone here is bought in."

"I can't do that," was Ayumu's reply.

"Well then, I guess I'll need to keep doing this!"

Another bolt fired into a tank, and that was when Ayumu finally cracked. Hurriedly, she ran forward, attempting to disarm Kushina.

* * *

 _YOU ARE OUT OF TIME! EITHER TAKE OUT THOSE SENSORS OR REPUBLIC CITY WILL GET TURNED INTO A CRATER!_

While the majority of the enemy mecha tank force had been destroyed, the cannon fire from the Star Flower itself still proved too thick for the allied squadrons to even get near. From this distance, the chance of connecting was far too low. One pilot spoke up even as time ticked away.

"I've got an idea!"

 _JWT 4, what's the plan?_

"All allied units, concentrate your fire at this point! If we can do that, we can cause the cannon to misfire by throwing it off its target!"

 _There's no telling where that cannon fire will end up if we do break it down!_

"Better that than right in Republic City!"

No one could argue the point. With that said, all the machines formed up into a single formation, aiming their weapons at the exact area suggested. Even as they did so, a purple glow began to emanate from the bottom of the space station.

"FIRE!"

Cannons, missiles, and everything else available headed for the single spot on the Star Flower, colliding with the space station.

 _Is it moving?_

* * *

Rohan looked out the window at the bright flash of purple energy, terrified of its destructive force. Yet, despite how bright it was, he was relatively safe.

The beam went into the ocean. Waves kicked up from the impact, but they dissipated before hitting the shore.

"Those fools did it."

"Then we still have a chance," Zuko answered.

* * *

"Status report!"

The bridge of the Star Flower was a maelstrom of activity. A minute ago, the crew had dedicated themselves to the total destruction of Republic City. Now they had confirmed that the fire from the spirit vine cannon hit somewhere in the ocean instead. The commander grimaced.

"Our ranging data is compromised from that adjustment. It's going to take a few minutes to properly target Republic City!"

 **CLANG! CLANG!**

The front door banged repeatedly as the crewmembers ran to arm themselves, looking at the door, while the commander hastily began punching commands into a console.

"Do not let them in!"

"Orders sir?"

"If the bridge is invaded, it was the Grand Lotus's order to engage Death Bloom firing protocol."

"Death Bloom?"

* * *

The space station shook, throwing Ayumu off-balance as she charged forward. Kushina smiled at her luck, moving in towards the enraged woman and landing a knee to her stomach, followed by a plethora of chi blocking strikes towards her arms and legs. Ayumu did her best to counter the onslaught, but her precarious position, coupled with the fact that she wasn't thinking straight, left her vulnerable to attack.

"Stand still!"

Kushina said nothing, but the relentless assault continued even as Ayumu did her best to fight back. She soon found herself unable to lift her arms, falling as consciousness left her. Kushina smiled.

"Well, that's one down. Heading outside, she found the unconscious man from earlier, hoping he had something she could use. Looking on at the fallen armor-clad man, she found he had a sidearm, a rapid fire Shocker pistol. Looking on at the tubes, she knew what had to be done.

"I shouldn't enjoy this so much," Kushina mused to herself as she raised the weapon, "but after the last time I met Korra, I think I can be forgiven."

 **BANG BANG BANG!**

* * *

Both the Firebenders and Airbenders were taken to one side by the shockwave that reverberated through the halls of the space station, but they did not falter. Having quickly explained her plan, Leena and her firebenders stood side by side with the airbenders, preparing to attack.

"First step, cyclone!"

The Air Nomads moved forward, sending out a collective gale of wind towards the clone. The Korra clones stood firm, their own airbenders pushing back against the onslaught of wind.

"Now! Fire Tornado!"

The Firebenders took the cue to launch flames forwards into the create winds, the flames being pushed forward and spread by the winds. The combined fire and wind soon created a fiery maelstrom that enveloped the clones, unable to fight back. Airbenders were burned and Firebenders tossed to the side.

"Keep it up!" Shing yelled. "We have to destroy these things completely!"

"You sure they're not alive, right?" an Air Nomad asked.

"They're basically machines!" Amit yelled. "We're good!"

The flames ceased as the gust finally died down, leaving nothing but a clear hallway covered in ash. Everyone gasped, but the words "they're just automatons, they weren't alive" reassured all involved.

"The bridge is just ahead! Let's move!"

* * *

Neither Tong nor Han stumbled even as the Star Flower shook. Tong, still covered in cuts, looked on at his opponent, who moved in for the finishing blow.

"It ends now, Avatar Tong!"

He had little time, and made it a point to take advantage of it. His eyes glowed an unearthly white as his right hand moved forward, sending out a concentrated gust of wind. It whipped through the razor wind Han sent out and hit his right hand, causing his arm to break in three places from the sheer impact, the wind launching him into the roof, leaving a dent in the thick metal.

As Han had done hundreds if not thousands of times, he dove off the roof, using airbending to propel himself towards his opponent, using his free hand to strike him down. He could still win. Tong however, disagreed.

A second gust of wind hit Han's free arm, breaking the wrist and several bones in the arm, while launching him into the wall by the entrance. What followed were numerous gusts of wind, hitting with the force of a hammer, driving him deeper into the metal of the wall. Finally, with one last hit, he went through the wall, barreling into the hallway, bleeding.

Tong stepped through the hole, looking on at his opponent, the fury on his face terrifying the Grand Lotus.

"St…stay away from me!" Han yelled, his entire body aching in pure agony as he attempted to rise to his feet, the pain making it difficult to even see. He tried to kick Tong, only for his leg to meet Tong's shinbone, risen up in a defensive posture. His bones, already battered and cracked by the onslaught, reached the breaking point and shattered, the Grand Lotus falling to the ground.

"That…is the power of Air Bending, the Air Bending of your grandmother and your father. The airbending you spat on and wanted to destroy."

Still conscious, but in insurmountable pain, he raised his useless arms in a defensive posture.

"Stay away! I…I'm the Grand Lotus! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Tong's eyes, still glowing white, reflecting Han's terrified face even as he was lifted up towards the ceiling by his neck.

"Han, you used my face and my body to bend the world to your will. You will never be forgiven!"

"That…no, Korra?"

"The REAL Korra," the voice answered. "Not your dolls. The ones you tried to make love you. I HATE YOU HAN! Hate you for what your order did! Hate you for trying to gain power in my name! Hate you for creating those abominations to use as your personal dolls!"

"P…please…don't…don't please. Please don't."

After a few moments, to which Han felt like an eternity, Tong/Korra let him go, collapsing to the ground in an agonized heap. His eyes returned to their normal shade of brown as they looked on at the fallen Grand Lotus.

"No. You won't die by my hand today. You're going to face judgment for every life you've taken, every life you've ruined. Every last person who you tricked into following you will see you answer for your crimes."

* * *

The doors held for the moment until the sight of metal bards going through the cracks in the middle became evident. They soon split the doors apart, allowing the troops to go inside. The men on the bridge did their best to resist, but the few who weren't shot were quickly restrained by metalbending cables. All the while, the commander laughed at the invading force.

"You fools are too late! The whole world is going to be wiped to ash!"

The combined forces of the various nations burst into the room, everyone looking on at the targeting computers. What they found certainly backed up the commander's words.

"The spirit vine cannon is firing nonstop! It's in the ocean now, but it's going to cut right through the United Republic in a minute!"

"Out of the way!"

Turning around, everyone saw Kushina barging through the soldiers, looking on at the cannon firing.

"Are you familiar with this?" one of the soldiers asked. "They've locked us out from this terminal! We would need to get to the actual cannon itself to destroy it and we don't have time!"

"Maybe that's not necessary," Kushina answered. "The cannon has a separate power source from the rest of the station. So maybe if I cause a reaction with the main reactors…"

Kushina quickly began moving through the controls, watching as monitors showed spikes in energy. The soldiers all wondered what was going on until they felt a shaking, followed by a violent jolt that sent everyone flying into the walls.

"Everyone OK?" Kushina asked, holding onto the bars nearby the terminal.

"What happened?" Tashi asked. When she did however, something unexpected began to happen.

Everyone started floating. While unharmed, everyone was confused.

"The gravity stabilization must have gotten shut off," Kushina reasoned. "But look!"

Pointing to a monitor, the group saw, breathing a collective sigh of relief, that the cannon had stopped firing. The world was safe.

Unfortunately, a rumbling indicated that they wouldn't be.

"Hoo boy."

"Kushina?" Shing asked. "What's going on?"

"Well, to stop the spirit vine cannon I overclocked the spirit vine reactors on the space station itself. They caused a very interesting reaction with the dedicated reactor on the cannon, overloading it with energy that couldn't be dispersed, which destroyed it. Sort of like a pipe bursting due to too much pressure."

"Why is everything shaking then?

"The problem is that I can't shut the other two down. They're both overloading and they're going to eventually implode like the cannon's reactor."

"Meaning?" a soldier asked.

"Meaning RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK! THIS SPACE STATION IS GOING TO TEAR ITSELF APART!"

Exploding monitors soon proved that statement true as everyone ran out the way they came, hurrying towards the shuttles. Unfortunately for Kushina, as she attempted to run out the door with everyone else, an explosion destroyed it, leaving nothing but a heap of metal, and a hole going away from the shuttle bay.

"Terrific," she thought, floating through the space station, looking desperately for a space suit she could wear and a way out.

* * *

Explosions ripped through the hallway that Han and Tong were in, the Grand Lotus floating past one, into the fires. He laughed all the while. For Tong, this meant two things.

One was that the others were successful. The other was that he needed to run like his life depended on it. Not even the Avatar could survive without air.

Explosions rocked the station as he continued to swim through the low gravity, finding holes that went deeper and deeper into the facility. He was in bad shape, covered in cuts, with no space suit, but he pressed onward, looking for any way of escape. Looking down, he saw a lone figure floating up, prepared for a fight.

"Tong?"

"K…Kushina!"

Floating forward, he hugged the woman briefly, who gasped at the cuts on him.

"W…what happened to you?"

"I had to stop Han. What's going on?"

"The Star Flower's coming apart! We need to get out of here!"

Another explosion accented her concern as the pair floated through the various decks, looking desperately for some, any method of escape. Finally, a brief bit of light poked through, and Kushina saw something that could have let them escape.

"A mecha tank! There's one in the hangar!" "But we can't fit through that hole!"

"Stand back!" Tong answered, looking on at the metal. "I'm going to try to force it open!"

"But it's covered in chemicals!"

"It's not platinum!" Tong yelled. "I can do it!"

Desperately reaching out, Tong tried to metalbend the wall in front of him. It was akin to trying to grab a greased dragon pup, with no grip available.

"Come on, come on!" he shouted. This was the only way out. He had to open it. For her sake. He made a promise, and dammit, he wasn't going to break it now.

 _It's like my teacher told me. You're reaching deep for the earth within. Ignore everything else._

 _Korra?_

 _You can do this. There's no limits to your bending if you focus!_

Breathing heavily, Tong finally felt a grip on something. With one dramatic pull, the walls of the hangar started to bend and contort, until finally they opened on both sides, leaving an opening large enough for both of them to go through. Once inside, they saw the answer to their cries for help.

"A mecha tank!"

"A gold-plated one!" Kushina added, shocked. "It's a Gunner-type. Two-seater. But why is it gold?"

"I think this is Han's personal mecha tank."

 **AND I'LL ASK YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY PROPERTY!**

An explosion rattled the hangar, although the door leading out of the Star Flower itself was mercifully unharmed. Behind them, Han, bleeding, battered, and half-dead, looked on, breathing heavily, his one good leg ready to attack.

"Get behind me Kushina! Go!"

"You think you can escape, Avatar?" Han mocked. "I didn't think the girl would follow you here. But that's fine. I'll take your prize from you, the same way you took mine from me!" Raising his leg, Han prepared to strike.

 **BANG!**

Looking to his right, Tong saw the shot came not from Han, but from Kushina, who was raising her pistol right at the Grand Lotus, her face one of fury.

"I'm…"

 **BANG!**

"No one's…"

 **BANG!**

"PRIZE!"

 **BANG!** **BANG!** **BANG!**

Blood emanated from Han's torso, the Grand Lotus leader floating outside of the hangar, meeting another explosion. Tong looked on at Kushina, who was busy opening the cockpit of the gold-plated Skull Knight.

"Get in!"

Wasting no time, he did so, finding a second seat behind Kushina's. The cockpit closed, at which point the pilot went to work.

"OK, see that stick? That's for the cannon. Target the center of that door and fire!"

 **BOOM!**

"Hurry!"

* * *

Shuttles and mecha tanks cleared the proximity of the Star Flower as explosions continued to rattle the space station. Aboard a shuttle, Shing looked on with Leena as one final explosion ripped the Star Flower apart, destroying the space station and the spirit vine cannon completely, along with the ambitions of White Lotus. Shing only had one question.

"Did they?"

"Ma'am! We have a single unit flying out from the Star Flower wreckage! It's a Skull Knight!"

"All weapons, target that enemy!"

"Wait!" Shing shouted. "What if it's not an enemy? Contact them!"

Going to a console by the pilot's seat, Leena reached for the radio. "Attention, pilot! Identify yourself or be shot down! This is your only warning!"

 _Hello to you too Leena._

"Tong!" Shing yelled. "He's alive!"

 _Hey, I'm the one that destroyed the cannon!_

"Kushina!"

"Pilot," Leena began, "prepare to dock. Let's go home."

* * *

The grin on his face was in pure defiance of the cuts and bruises on his body. Someone hurt that badly shouldn't have been smiling that much.

"What are you so happy about?" Kushina asked, looking behind at the grinning Avatar. Unbuckling her harness, she turned around to see him still grinning.

"I saved the world," Tong boasted.

"No," Kushina answered. "I saved the world. You just…helped."

"I beat the big bad."

"I destroyed the spirit vine cannon. And drove us out."

"Which you wouldn't have done if I didn't force the doors open and stop Han," Tong shot back.

"But I shot him."

"After we fought."

Both looked at each other, and then started laughing.

"You're beautiful when you're determined, you know that?"

"You don't look so bad yourself," Kushina grinned, running a finger on the shirtless Tong. Both smiled at each other, but were interrupted by a magnificent sight.

Over the Earth, the sun began to rise, as if to signify a new day for the pair. The sheer scale of the rising sun caused both to gasp.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Kushina asked. Tong smiled.

"Everything I'm looking at right now is beautiful."

The moment was interrupted by a beeping noise from the nearby console. Sighing, Kushina reached for said console to answer the call.

"Yes?"

 _UR 2, this is Commander Zuko II. We have confirmed complete destruction of the enemy installation. What is the status of Grand Lotus Han?_

"Deceased, sir," Kushina responded. "Avatar Tong is right by me, he can confirm the kill."

 _The world is in your debt Avatar. We have some people that would like to speak with you before you return to Earth._

"Can it wait?" Tong asked, only to be shushed by Kushina.

"Hey, 'Avatar'. You need to answer that call."

"I have something I want to do first," he answered, only for the woman to playfully shake her head.

"Five minutes."

"What? Half an hour."

"Fifteen."

"Deal."

"Commander, the Avatar is a little busy. We'll call in about fifteen minutes."

 _What? What do you me…_

* * *

"She hung up on me!"

"It's alright Commander."

"Alright?! How is this alright Mr. President?"

"They just saved the world. I think they're entitled to breathe just a bit.

"Grr…"

* * *

Somewhere over a cliff in the Spirit World, two women looked on at each other, smiling.

"He's going to be OK."

"So then we can have that honeymoon, right Korra?"

"I've waited too long Asami."

* * *

Clicking the console off, Kushina smiled, going up to Tong. The pair embraced, placing their lips to each other, passionately kissing as the rising sun shone on the planet and their machine.

"I love you, Kushina."

"I love you too, Avatar Tong."

"That's why we keep ending up like this, huh?"

"We have to keep each other safe. Like you said, right?"

"True. We both made a promise. And as long as I'm alive, I'm going to keep it."

"So, what now?" Kushina asked.

"You have a job at the Fire Nation, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I don't really have a place anymore, so I was wo…"

"Yes."

"I didn't even finish asking."

"It's obvious. Come here, you big dummy."

Grinning, the pair continued to kiss, the countless stars of the cosmos shining above them. None of that mattered. What mattered was that they had each other, and they would never let the other go.

She would never let another control her destiny.

And he would never deny who he was again.

 **THE END**

 **最後**


	38. Epilogue

_Three Months Later..._

Heavy machinery continued to work tirelessly outside of Rohan's new office. The sight didn't bother him, the continued re-construction of Air Temple Island following its annihilation by the Star Flower's spirit vine cannon. And to give the construction crews credit, since the groundbreaking ceremony, they had done a phenomenal job of rebuilding from nothing.

Looking outside, Rohan smiled at the recently re-completed Garden of Old Masters, where the statues of the former Grandmasters following Avatar Aang proudly stood. The statues and the garden itself culminated in a gazebo, which offered a spectacular view of the statue of Avatar Aang which rested in Republic City harbor. He offered a slight tear looking on at the statue of Opal Bei Fong, lowering his head slightly.

"You weren't there when he was born. Neither was Bolin. If you were, he wouldn't have gone down that dark path."

He still remembered the groundbreaking ceremony. Avatar Tong had made a speech about the resiliency of the Air Nomads as a people and the world as being better with the diverse nations, rather than one absolute power. He had been quick to point out that the Avatar was never meant to be a tyrant, nor was he or she meant to make the decisions for the world. The Avatar was a balancing force that would help the world find its way, but the world had to walk the path of its own choosing.

Notably, he also called upon the world to not demonize Korra, following the media and the citizens of the world doing just that. Most notably, the same day as the destruction of the Star Flower, an angry mob tore down and defaced the statue of Korra in Avatar Park, while graffiti all over Republic City showed Korra's defeat at the hands of Avatar Tong, art that only made it more important that he say something. Korra, he argued, was just as much a victim of the manipulations of White Lotus as anyone else, her visage corrupted into a clone that would do whatever they would say. The real Korra would not support horrors like the ones in Ba Sing Se, and should not be blamed for what the impostor had done. The speech, along with numerous others he had done in trying to heal the wounds caused by White Lotus and the now disbanded 'Avatar Affairs' had helped in dealing with that resentment.

The speech had seemed so long ago, and following the celebration and everyone going their separate ways was the reality that it would take some time to restore the island completely. Still, after three months and the constant efforts, Rohan had to say; he was enthusiastic about the progress being made.

 **BEEP!** **BEEP!**

The noise however, he could do without. But with the noise came progress, like wiring the entire temple with wireless Internet, the dedicated servers neatly tucked away so as not to disturb the natural scenery. It was thanks to that access that he was able to look at the tablet in front of him, seeing the photos Shing had sent him of the Fire Nation. The photos showed Shing standing in front of a storefront that had the words "Airbending Academy" on the front, Shing showing off the apartment he was staying in, and him hugging the woman Leena even as she towered over him. Finally, there was a photo of him with a class of fifteen eager students sitting on their knees for a formal photo.

 _Grandfather:_

 _This is what I've been up to since moving to Capital City with Leena. On my travels, I've run into people who took Wind Razor as gospel because they had no other alternative source of information. The world has changed, and we can't expect every single person to abandon their lives to come to the temples. While there will always be those that desire a deeper, more spiritual understanding of their element, many seem daunted by the idea of abandoning all they knew just so they could learn Airbending._

 _With that in mind, I have opened up a school in Capital City dedicated to teaching Airbending techniques the same way you and Ikki taught me. I've already got enough students to pay the rent for the building, and I'm going to need to hire assistant instructors soon. They're new to this, but then again, I'm new to teaching. My formal explanation of what I want to accomplish is in a separate document. You can show it to Grandmaster Nam-Ka if she asks._

 _I'm staying with Leena, who got a two-rank promotion and an office job in the Fire Nation. We enjoy each other's company quite a bit, but I'm sure everyone figured that out by now. Still, I suspect Leena isn't completely happy with working in an office, and wants to go back to work in the field. That'll be her choice when the time comes._

 _I'm hoping to have the business be sustainable in six months so I can see you again. There's a desire for people to learn, but the knowledge couldn't be accessed until now. Please don't look at this as me competing with the Temples, but look at it as me spreading our techniques and culture to those who would not have it otherwise._

 _Please take care, and hopefully we can see each other soon. If you need any help concerning the rebuilding of Air Temple Island, let me know and I will do my best to fly over._

 _Love,_

 _Shing_

Shutting off the tablet screen, Rohan looked forward at the man entering his office, a middle-aged gentleman with a thick beard and baldhead. He smiled at his guest.

"Kalden! How are you?"

"Grandmaster, I've been busy with the preparations to reintroduce the new set of students. Why do you ask?"

Looking outside the window, Rohan smiled. "I've spent the last several months putting my retirement on hold ever since the…incident with Yuza. Since that time, I've been wondering if I want to fully retire or if I've just been burnt out."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying after everything that's happened, the rebuilding is finally far enough along that I can take a vacation."

Removing his robes, Rohan revealed he was wearing a set of beige shorts and a t-shirt decorated with flowers underneath it, hanging up the robes nearby. "I want you to act as Grandmaster in my stead while I take some much-needed time off."

"Me?" Kalden asked. "Grandmaster?"

"Probationary," Rohan answered. "I'm going to be testing out a bunch of people for the role by giving them trial runs that I will observe. You came first because of how well you handled the reconstruction efforts."

"B…but where do I begin?" Rohan smiled, patting Kalden on the shoulder.

"Just do what you were going to do with the students and delegate responsibility accordingly. If you have any questions, call my cell phone." Picking up two briefcases, Rohan began to walk out of the office.

"Where are you going?"

"A cruise for a few weeks, and then maybe to see my sister for a day or two. Take care!"

* * *

Atop one of the cliffs where the Northern Air Temple stood was a grave for Air Nomads who fell in service to the Air Nation. It had been adorned with trees, natural light, and dozens of plaques commemorating the fallen. Spirits flew around the area, adding to the bright yet somber ambiance.

In front of one of the newest plaques, a woman in Air Nomad robes placed a bouquet of flowers inside a stone vase. She looked on, smiling.

"Hi Mi Hee. I know we haven't spoken since back in Ba Sing Se. I…didn't want to come here until I had the right words to say. Now I do." Breathing deeply, the woman continued.

"I don't want to say you've been 'avenged'. We're not supposed to believe in revenge, and you were as serious a member of the Air Nation as any of us. What I will say is that your sacrifices weren't in vain. Amit and I are just fine, and that mission helped to expose White Lotus and their evil plans. So rest easy."

"I…I still miss you though. I miss having someone to show me places, I miss having someone to talk about my training with, and I miss…I miss those nights we spent together, the ones on the cliff, where we, well, you know." A slight blush on her cheeks accompanied the last words.

"Don't worry about me though, and don't worry about Amit. We're practically brother and sister now, and I'm going to make sure nothing happens to him. I'm not exactly ready to date again, but I know you wouldn't want me to be alone either. Just remember, I'll always love you."

Smiling, she walked away from the plaque, only to look up and see another Air Nomad running towards her.

"Hey, Tashi!"

"Amit? What are you doing here?"

"I got a letter from your cousin. Are you ready to get back to work?"

"What do you mean?" Tashi asked.

"Well, have you ever been to Capital City before?"

* * *

Ignoring the members of the press that constantly asked him questions, the man stepped off the airplane into a car that was waiting for him. Once he looked on at her, the pair exchanged a laugh.

"Welcome home. How was your little speaking tour?"

"The man smiled, leaning back into the car seat even as it drove through the crowded streets of Capital City.

"It's going to be a while before the title 'Avatar' means what it used to, but people are coming around, slowly but surely."

"What makes you say that?" Smiling, the man held up a contract for the woman to glance at.

"Capital City University?"

"I've been asked to do a lecture series while I get my doctorate. 'Spirit-human relations throughout history'. They think having the Avatar as a professor will boost their credibility."

"You gonna take the offer?"

"Let's see, it pays well, it lets me get my doctorate, it keeps me by you…"

"Hey, I'm driving," the woman playfully protested as he kissed her cheek.

"And I get to do something besides be the world's cop. I think Dad…would have been proud."

"Of course he would have been proud," the woman, answered, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "You're the Avatar."

"And his son is with a lovely…"

"Stop it."

"Intelligent…"

"I said stop it, brown-noser," she shot back.

"Sorry, but I missed you, what with you starting the new job, and me having to tell the world not to burn every single picture of Korra in effigy. I'm just happy all the formal speeches are over."

Rolling her eyes somewhat sarcastically, the woman straightened up in the driver's seat and asked a question.

"You think the Earth State's going to go back to war?"

"Finding out they were being manipulated made everyone a bit more agreeable to start talking about a formal peace treaty and not just an armistice again. They won't be one nation for a long time, if ever, but hopefully they can look at each other without shooting Shockers."

She smiled. At least the last few months weren't a complete waste.

"So what are we going to do now?"

"Well, the next semester that I'm supposed to start at isn't for a month, and last you told me, everything at work was going great. What do you say we take a vacation? A real one? Somewhere, just the two of us, no cameras, no gunfire, no evil Airbending masters, just you, me, a couple of lemon shandies, and a beautiful beach."

"Sounds boring," she answered before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"What?"

"I'm kidding. I could use a break. This new vehicle is taking a lot of work to design."

"Then it's settled. Right after we meet up with everyone, we head to the airport!"

The woman rolled her eyes again. "Tong, you are headstrong, impulsive, and sometimes completely out of your mind." As the car pulled into a parking spot, she added, "But I love you anyway."

"Kushina, that makes me the luckiest man alive," Tong replied, kissing her again. This time however, she returned it.

The car stopped, as the pair looked on at the outdoor café, getting out and seeing the four people waiting for them, the table empty save a basket of bread and some utensils, while by it, four familiar faces looked on at the pair. The four were all dressed casually, in shorts and T-shirts to deal with the summer heat in the city.

"So we're all neighbors now?" Leena asked with a chuckle.

"I guess so," Tong answered, sitting down. "You don't mind, right?"

"Of course not," Leena answered. "It'll be nice to get meat without having to eat out."

"Hey!"

Giggling, Kushina sat by Tong, asking, "You guys didn't order yet, right?"

"Actually we've just been having some bread," Shing answered. "So, how's everyone doing?"


End file.
